Life & Times In Advent Tides
by DrScribbler
Summary: High school "Adventure Time" AU, featuring the pairings of both Bubbline and Gumlee. Also includes AU versions of Finn, Jake, Fionna, Cake and the rest of the gang. I'm really excited about writing this so reviews are very appreciated. :) Rated M for profanity, a tiny bit of violence and NSFW sexy stuff from Chapter 18 onwards.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: Hey guys, if you're here giving this story a chance, I want to thank you so much.  
I've wanted to write this for AGES and I'm really excited about it.  
Please feel free to give me your honest opinions and constructive criticism in the reviews.  
I hope you like it buds, happy reading! :)**_**  
**  
"Now, I still have time before work, I can drop you guys to school if you want!"  
By the way Perry Boehm was rushing around the kitchen, coffee in one hand while gathering up keys, wallet and briefcase in the other, it didn't look like he had time for anything other than darting right out the front door.  
Bonni exchanged a knowing look with her brother Gumble who just smiled at their father.  
"It's OK Dad," he said calmly, trying not to laugh at how Perry was now trying to wash and dry the coffee cup hurriedly with just one hand, whilst keeping his eyes on his son. "The high school is supposed to be just around the corner, right? I'm sure it won't be a problem, we'll find it."  
"But if you just get your bags _now_, I can easily-"  
"Dad, relax," Bonni said, and not without kindness. "You have that big presentation at work today, right? You need to be on time and going in the direction of the school will just add more time to your commute."  
"Yeah, seriously, it's OK," Gumble added. "They'll probably be loads of people walking that way, if we get lost we'll just follow them!"  
Perry let out a sigh of admiration, grinning at the compassion of his children towards him.  
"You two are incredible to me," he beamed. "You really, really are. But it's just-"  
Perry fumbled with his briefcase, searching for words.  
"I feel like I should be _there _for the two of you on your first day of a new school! I mean-"  
"Dad, stop!" Bonni said sharply. "You've _always _been there for us and this is hardly our first day of high school _ever_. Just relax, get into work and knock 'em dead with the presentation, OK?"  
"And we'll handle the rest!" Gumble joked, with the type of cheesy wink and a thumbs-up that Perry's own employees so often utilised in the office.  
Perry grinned again.  
"Ich liebe euch beide," he told them, with genuine affection in his voice.  
"We love you too Papa," Bonni smiled. "Now go, you're going to be late!"  
Perry quickly grabbed his jacket, headed for the door and then doubled back for the pack of peppermint chewing gum he had left on the countertop.  
Their dad was a big fan of the flavour – so much so that his friends had nicknamed him "Peppermint" in college.  
Finally, he scooted out of the room and the front door slammed.

The twins looked at each other.  
"You ready?" Gumble asked, taking another sip from his mug.  
Bonni sighed as she rose from the table, taking her cereal bowl to the sink.  
"No," she answered simply. "Now let's go."

Their father needn't have worried, the school was a ten-minute walk away and very easy to find by the amount of people their age trekking in that direction.  
The building was a large, rectangular redbrick affair with two stone dogs flanking the main entrance.  
"What's with the dogs?" Gumble asked his sister as they climbed the steps together.  
"I heard someone in town yesterday say that the bloodhound is the mascot of Advent Tides High School," Bonni replied, peering at the statues as they went past.  
"Bloodhounds? They look like oversized pugs," Gumble muttered, and Bonni giggled.

After manoeuvring the bustling hallways and dodging around the many students at their lockers, the two siblings eventually made it to the main office and collected their class timetables.  
"I've got math in room 126 now," Gumble said, studying his carefully. "What about you?"  
"Geography, room 328," Bonni reported, her voice not lacking disappointment. "But are you in German after that?"  
"Uh...yeah!" Gumble said excitedly, catching sight of it on his schedule. "Room 213?"  
"That's the one!" Bonni beamed. "So,"  
She looked at her brother, a little nervously.  
"See you then?"  
"See you then," Gumble smiled, hating how his own nervousness showed in his voice.  
The two hugged briefly, an unspoken embrace of "good luck," and hurried to their separate classes.

Marceline was leaning against the lockers, deep in a daydream, when the locker beside her slammed shut and her brother was sighing grouchily.  
"Did you do the German homework?" he asked her.  
"I think we both know the answer to that," his sister replied in a bored tone.  
Marshall growled in frustration as he threw his rucksack over his shoulder.  
"She's going to kill us both," he said conversationally as they walked down the corridor together.  
"Yeah, well she can küssen mein ass," Marceline said and grinned when her brother spluttered with laughter. "Soooo...are we ditching?"  
"Looks like it," Marshall said, shrugging. "Meet you back here in forty minutes?"  
"Sounds like a plan dude."

Bonni entered the room nervously, despising how every pair of eyes latched onto her unfamiliar face as she walked in.  
She glanced over at the teacher's desk, which was empty, and then looked around in apprehension, unsure of what to do.  
Most people looked at her with mild, bland interest, others were wearing stupid-looking smirks that immediately made her identify them as the ones to avoid.  
As the seconds went by, she felt her face burning red, completely at a loss.  
This was _not _a good start.  
"Hey, over here!"  
Bonni looked to her left and was relieved to see three friendly-looking faces.  
Two guys were sitting side by side at a desk.  
One was tall and gangly with a thick crop of fair hair and gaps in his grinning teeth, the other was shorter with dark blonde hair that he wore long by his shoulders. The second boy had a little bit of stubble on his chin and the type of face-shape that made Bonni think he would look good with a beard.  
The person who had just called out to her, a tall Asian girl with long, sleek, dyed blonde hair, was sitting at the desk in front of them, turned to her side so she could talk to the two guys comfortably.  
"Hey," she said, motioning to the empty seat next to her. "There's a free place here!"  
Bonni smiled at them and hurried to the seat, eager to get away from the burning stares.  
"Thank you!" Bonni gushed gratefully, looking around at them as she dropped her bag on the floor. "It was so embarrassing just standing up there!"  
"It's cool," the shorter guy said. "It's hard to know what to do in situations like that."  
"You're telling me!" Bonni said. "I felt like a stand-up comedienne with no routine prepared."  
The three of them laughed.  
"I'm Lada by the way," the girl said kindly. "That's Jake."  
"Yo!" the shorter boy smiled, holding up a hand.  
"And that's Finn."  
"Hi!" he waved animatedly.  
"It's nice to meet you all, I'm Bonni," she smiled.  
"Nice to meet you too Bonni, you new to Advent Tides?" Lada questioned.  
"Yeah, my family just moved here. My brother and I only started school today."  
"What age is your brother?" Jake asked.  
"Same age as me, we're twins," Bonni replied.  
"Oh wow, another set of male-female twins!" Finn cried. "That's pretty cool."  
"Anotherset?" Bonni asked curiously.  
"Yeah, there's also the Abadeers," Lada told her. "But they-"  
Just then, the teacher swept into class and slammed the door behind her.  
"Right!" she began straightaway, launching into a lecture about homework being done on time.  
"I'll tell you later," Lada whispered and Bonni smiled at her, glad she had found some friendly people already, and wondering if Gumble was faring so well in math class.

Gumble got a little lost on his way to class.  
He wandered down one hallway, then double backed to meander up another, finally rounding a corner and (judging by the numbers on the doors) realizing he was on the wrong side of the school.  
"A fine start," he mumbled to himself.  
"What was that?"  
Gumble turned around and saw three guys standing by their lockers. By the looks of their things thrown all over the floor and one of them calmly drinking a can of cola, they weren't in any rush to get to class.  
"Eh, nothing," Gumble said quickly.  
The guy in the middle grinned but it was in no way a friendly or welcoming smile. Gumble thought it looked rather like a cartoon villain's smirk.  
"Were you talking to _yourself_?" he asked and his two friends laughed.  
"Y-yeah," Gumble tried to sound casual. "I just got a little lost is all."  
"So you started _talking _to yourself?" the same guy asked and his friends snorted again.  
Gumble tried not to let their laughing get to him.  
"Hey," he tried again at a shot for camaraderie. "Any chance you can tell me where room one-twenty-six is?"  
The two others looked at the tall, muscled guy in the middle who just gave Gumble another one of his mean smiles.  
"No, no chance at all," he said and turned to his friends. "Come on guys."  
They sloped off (still giggling) and Gumble set off again, muttering "pricks" under his breath as he did so.

Eventually, he found room 126, where the lesson had already started.  
He apologised to the teacher who cheerfully said "don't worry son, it's your first day!" and gestured for him to sit at an empty desk near the back.  
About ten minutes later, they were told to work on a few algebra problems in groups of three.  
Feeling embarrassed, Gumble drummed his fingers apprehensively on the table.  
_Oh man, now I have to do that humiliating thing where I raise my hand and say that I don't have a group!  
_But just as he was about to lift up his hand, he felt a gentle tug on his collar.  
"Hey dude, wanna pair up with us?"  
Gumble turned around and found himself looking into the affable face of a girl with long blonde hair.  
"Eh, sure," he said. "Thank you. That's really nice of you."  
"No worries man, I'm Fionna by the way!" the girl grinned. "And this is my friend Carla."  
"Hey hun."  
Carla smiled at him and Gumble was immediately taken by her very striking and very green catlike eyes.  
"Nice to meet you guys, I'm Gumble."  
"Gumble?" Fionna asked.  
"Yeah," Gumble winced to show them he knew how dorky it was. "Not the greatest name in the world I know. My parents weren't very good at naming kids, my sister's name is Bonnibel."  
Both Fionna and Carla laughed.  
"Well at least it's unique," Fionna shrugged. "Nothing worse than a name _everyone _has!"  
"I guess," Gumble said, smiling slightly at her kindness. "I've never been mixed up with anyone else before anyway!"  
Fionna opened her mouth to say something else when Carla interrupted.  
"Sweet _fuck_, do you guys have any idea about these trinomials?" she said, squinting at the textbook. "It just looks like a cyclone of numbers to me!"  
Gumble and Fionna both giggled and they set themselves to work.

Bonni felt in higher spirits when she walked into German class and took a seat at the front. Lada, Jake and Finn had been nice enough to invite her _and _her brother to have lunch with them so she was feeling optimistic about the rest of the day.  
Just then, Gumble walked in.  
"Hey!" Bonni greeted him. "How was math?"  
"Not bad," Gumble said, sliding down into the seat beside her. "I met these two really nice girls who said we could both hang out with them later if we want. Also, they thought I was a genius because I could understand trinomials which was a great boost for my ego! How was geography?"  
"Good actually," Bonni said. "I met some really friendly peeps who said we could have lunch with them today!"  
"Cool," Gumble said, nodding. "I guess the engaging personalities of the Boehm twins wins every time!"  
They both laughed, just as the teacher entered the room.

Marceline took two chocolate bars out of her rucksack and held them up to Marshall.  
"Caramel or peanut?"  
"Eh...caramel!"  
"Awesome, 'cos I want peanut."  
The Abadeer twins were sitting on the roof of the school bicycle shelter, enjoying the sweet sunshine of late September.  
Suddenly they heard footsteps and both froze. But then a tall, brawny guy stomped around the corner.  
"Oh," said Marceline, leaning back. "It's just Lich."  
Marshall rolled his eyes.  
"Joy," he said sarcastically.  
Lich spotted them and let out a grunt of distaste.  
"What are _you _two doing back here?" he demanded, whipping out a pack of cigarettes.  
"Going for the high score in putt-putt mini golf Lich, what does it look like?" Marshall said and Marceline let out a howl of laughter.  
Lich threw Marshall a dirty look.  
"Fucking weirdos," he spat, turning around and lighting a cigarette.  
It was then that another set of footsteps echoed through the air and Mr Eberhardt turned swiftly around the corner.  
"Robert Lich, I _thought _I saw you go back here!"  
Lich grunted in frustration.  
"What, are you _spying _on me sir?"  
"None of your attitude Robert!" the teacher barked. "Here's the deal; I won't call your mother again if you just get to class _right now_!"  
Lich shot Mr Eberhardt a dirty look and then pointed angrily at the Abadeers.  
"Well, what about _them_?"  
Marshall gave Lich a "what-the-hell?" look while Marceline rolled her eyes.  
"Lich, you _fucker_," she sighed.  
Lich turned around, arched his shoulders and looked like he was about to start bellowing when Mr Eberhardt grabbed his arm.  
"Robert, I promise you I'll deal with them! _You_ just go to class!" he said authoritatively. "And I will _check _with Ms Engel if you were there!"  
Lich gave the Abadeers one last filthy look and then stamped away, furiously muttering a thousand curse words a second under his breath.

"And you two," Mr Eberhardt sighed at them. "I'm surprised at you! So just get to class and we'll write it off as a one-time discretion. Alright?"  
Marshall and Marceline both smiled at their music teacher.  
"Thanks Mr E!"  
"Yeah, thank you so much!"  
"It's fine, now get a move on!" Mr Everhardt commanded, but not too harshly.

"Right," Ms Engel was saying. "The main trick with strong and irregular verbs in German is-"  
The door suddenly swung open and a male student barged angrily in.  
Gumble instantly recognised him as the tall, hefty guy who had been so rude to him out in the hallway.  
Ms Engel didn't seem at all surprised that he was late. Or that he burst in so melodramatically.  
"Mr Lich, how nice of you to join us," she said. "Take your seat."  
Just as the door was closing, two more students appeared.  
"Oh and I get _both _the Abadeer twins today? How lucky am I? Take your seats you two! Come on, hurry up!"  
With a sigh, Ms Engel picked up a sheet from her desk.  
"Might as well go through the role now that most of us are here. Michelle Aarons?"  
"Here."  
"OK and Marceline and Marshall are now both here...Jacob Bateman?"  
"Here."  
"Bonnibel Boehm?"  
Ms Engel looked up, smiling.  
"That's you dear, isn't it?" she said to Bonni.  
"Yeah, that's me," Bonni said back politely.  
Ms Engel nodded and looked at Gumble sitting next to her.  
"So that would make _you_," she glanced again at the list. "Gumble Boehm?"  
Before Gumble could respond, a mean voice rung out through the room.  
"Wait, _Gumball_?"  
A few students giggled, Ms Engel looked up angrily, Gumble felt his face turn red. But before anyone could properly react...  
"Oh shut up Robert you big sap!" Marshall told him. "You can't say jack, your last name rhymes with bitch!"  
"_Marshall_!" Ms Engel yelled as the whole class began laughing.

After class, when the bell rang and everybody filed out, Lich stalked by Gumble and gave him an extremely dirty look.  
"You done _talking_ to yourself yet?" he shot spitefully.  
Gumble just ignored him and continued packing away his things.  
"That guy is such a jerk," Bonni said, frowning as he stormed from the room. "What does he have against you?"  
"Who knows?" Gumble said, shrugging. "Same thing everyone's always had against me ever?"  
"Hey, Gumble, come on," Bonni said gently. "It's a brand new school with brand new people, you're _not _going to get bullied here! That guy's probably just as asshole to everybody!"  
"Yeah, you're probably right," Gumble sighed and then brightened up a little. "Anyway, wanna try and find those people from earlier?"  
Bonni smiled at her brother.  
"Sure!"

As the Boehm twins walked out of the room, they passed by Marceline, Marshall and a few of their friends, standing around in a little circle and talking.  
"Hey, you OK Gumball?" Marshall grinned.  
Gumble looked up at him, shot him a look. But before he could say a word, Bonni took her brother by the arm and firmly steered him away.  
Marceline looked at Marshall incredulously.  
"Dude," she said. "_Why_?"  
"Well Lich upset him when he did it! But if his _friends_ start using the nickname, it won't be a big deal!"  
"You're not his friend moron," Keila said, rolling her eyes. "You've never even met him!"  
"Yeah, but-"  
"Come on bro," Marceline said, grabbing his wrist. "I'm getting you out of here before you offend anyone else!"

In a happy coincidence, it turned out that Fionna and Carla were friends with Finn, Jake and Lada so Gumble and Bonni ended up eating lunch at the same table.  
They were also introduced to the curvy and sassy Lucinda Sally Pabitzky (who insisted to go by her anagram of LSP), the extremely cheerful and friendly Benny Matthew Olson (who also liked being called by his nickname BMO) and Lada's long-haired metalhead cousin Logan (who Gumble ended up getting along very well with).

That night, everyone was fairly content when they went to bed.  
Except for Marshall Abadeer, who lay awake thinking of ways to make it up to the good-looking new guy he had insulted.


	2. Chapter 2

Bonni spent the first few minutes of her chemistry class the next morning texting Lada.  
She had told her that they were doing theoretical work in home economics and it always "bored the sweet heck" out of her so Bonni had agreed to chat to her for a little bit.  
Not for too long though. As difficult as it could be at times, Bonni actually liked chemistry. The formulas, reactions, compositions, seeing how matter could _change_, it was all so fascinating to her.  
She smiled down at her phone as another message came through.  
Still. It was nice to have a friend to text.

"Hey dude, who you texting?"  
Bonni looked up and saw the long black mane of Marceline Abadeer as she slid into the seat next to her. The red-haired girl simply cocked an eyebrow at her and looked back at her phone.  
"A friend," she told her, politely but by no means kindly.  
There was a short pause then.  
"Hey, if you don't like me because of what Marshall said to your brother yesterday, I understand," Marceline told her in a resolute voice. "But believe it or not, Marshall didn't mean to be a jerk. He was trying to make "Gumball" something people use in a friendly way so your bro wouldn't feel picked on by the name. Stupid I know, considering that Marshall doesn't even _know_ the guy, but his heart was in the right place. Marshall isn't an asshole. Anyway, just thought you should know."  
After her spiel, Marceline busied herself with getting her books out of her bag.  
Bonni mulled over the words, feeling like they had been genuine. After all, the Abadeer twins didn't _seem_ like mean people. They just seemed...spirited.  
"I didn't decide to _not_ like you because of that," Bonni told her, wanting to let this girl know that she wasn't some judgmental stick-in-the-mud.  
"Good because I might need to borrow a pen from you," Marceline replied, digging through her rucksack.  
Bonni laughed and the sound made Marceline smile at her.  
"Here dude," the new girl said, passing her a pen. "Keep it, I've got plenty."  
"Thanks," Marceline smiled, taking it. "And thanks for not thinking that my brother is an ass."  
"No, I understand it now," Bonni said. "I just kind of had to put the defences up to protect _my _brother, y'know? At least until I actually got to _know_ you."  
"I totally get that," the black-haired girl responded, nodding. "But you know me now, right? Hi, I'm Marceline and my twin brother is not a complete fucker."  
"Hi Marceline," Bonni said. "I'm Bonni and my twin brother isn't a complete fucker either. Well, most of the time."  
The two girls laughed as their teacher entered.  
"Oh hi there!" he said to Bonni, spotting the new addition to his class immediately and then turning to Marceline. "Look at that Ms Abadeer, this student's presence extinguishes the odd number problem in this class and now you have a lab partner!"  
"Cool," Marceline said and winked at Bonni.  
The red-haired girl just smiled, wondering why the heck that had made her blush.

Gumble had never understood the word "reluctant" more clearly in his life than on the walk to the school gym.  
He hated PE class. He hated exercising with other people. He hated running and always being the slowest. He hated being booed at when he missed a catch or swung a bat through mid-air.  
He hated the changing rooms, he hated being known as the kid who was bad at sports, he hated giving anyone another bullshit reason to bully him, he hated it. _Hated _it.  
Most of all though, he hated how neither his sister nor any of his new friends were in his gym class. He had to face this one alone.  
He arrived at the school gym (flanked by another stone mega pug) and made to walk inside.  
When he saw the Lich, already changed into his PE clothes and joking around with a group of his friends. Gumble made to double-back but it was too late. Lich looked up and spotted him.  
"Hey there new boy!" he called out to him in mock friendliness with a big sarcastic wave. "Are we going to be gym pals and bounce around together? I sure hope we're on the same team!"  
All his friends nearly fell to the ground laughing.  
Lich just gave Gumble his big grin.  
"Hey," he said. "You looking forward to the changing rooms? You look like a guy who looks forward to the changing rooms," he nudged his nearest friend, "_if _you know what I mean."  
That was enough. Gumble spun around and marched away from the gym, back towards the school. Cruel mocking laughter followed him and he was pretty sure he heard the word he hated the most be yelled at him as he took a sharp turn left and decided to cut across the football field.  
_Why me? Why is it __always __me?_  
This wasn't fair. Not here. Not in a new town with new people.  
What had he ever done to Lich and his stupid friends? Why did they have to pick on him, especially for being-?  
"Hey! Hey, over here!"  
Gumble looked up and saw the last person he wanted to see now.

"Hey!" Marshall waved his hands from where he sat alone on the bleachers. "Hey dude, up here!"  
"Not now!" Gumble shot back. "OK? Just not now!"  
"Hey, come on!" Marshall called to him. "I wanted to apologise for yesterday!"  
Gumble rolled his eyes. Wait a lame excuse. He picked up his pace, walking quickly now.  
Marshall swore under his breath, scooped up his rucksack and darted down the bleachers after him.  
"Gumble! Gumble, wait!"  
Marshall rushed after him, caught up, reached out to grab his arm.  
"Hey-"  
"What the fuck do you _want_?" Gumble spun around and looked Marshall right in the eyes. "What did I do to you, huh? What did I do to _any-_"  
"Hey, hey! You're right!" Marshall held up his hands defensively. "You're right, OK? Yesterday was stupid and I'm sorry. I thought if your friends used the nickname, it wouldn't bother you like it did when Lich said it."  
"You're not my fucking _friend_!"  
"No!" Marshall said loudly.  
So loudly it made Gumble freeze.  
"No, I'm not," Marshall repeated and bent down, reached into his bag.  
He took out a can of cream soda and threw it to Gumble.  
"Catch. I saw you drinking it yesterday at lunch. Consider it an apology. I'm sorry man."  
With that, Marshall slung his bag over his shoulder and began walking away.

Gumble stared down at the can, barely believing it was there.  
Then he looked up at the tall, messy-haired young man walking away from him.  
"Thanks," he said, and Marshall turned around.  
The redheaded guy gave him a small smile.  
"That's really cool of you," he told him. "Thanks for buying me this."  
"You're welcome man," Marshall replied. "And I _am_ sorry for what I said yesterday."  
"I'm sorry for what I just said a few seconds ago," Gumble said, feeling his face turn red in embarrassment. "I'm sorry I lost my temper at you like that, it wasn't fair. It's just that – that - nevermind. I'm sorry dude, OK?"  
In response, Marshall stepped forward and held out his hand.  
"Don't worry about it. Buds?"  
Gumble smiled gratefully at him, grabbed his hand, shook it.  
"Sure. Buds."  
"Cool," Marshall stepped away from him, then suddenly caught sight of his gym bag.  
"You skipping PE?" he asked him.  
"Yeah," Gumble said, and not without a bit of shame in his voice. "I'm not a big let's-run-in-a-circle fan."  
"What a coincidence, neither am I," Marshall said with a smile. "Wanna join me on the bleachers to sit this one out?"  
Gumble smiled.  
"OK."

It was a double class so their chemistry teacher gave them a five minute break between the two periods.  
Bonni took the opportunity to ask Marceline about the gig bag she was carrying with her.  
"Is that a guitar?" she asked her.  
"Nah, my brother's the guitarist in the family, I'm the bassist," Marceline told the new girl. "Marshall always says I got two less strings to match my two less brain cells. Dick."  
Bonni laughed.  
"Yeah, I can relate. Gumble plays piano and he once told me that all musical talent obviously one went to the one twin."  
"You don't play anything?" Marceline raised her eyebrows.  
"Nah, I write lyrics to go with his stuff but that's about it."  
Bonni suddenly felt her cheeks glow red, having revealed such a personal thing to someone she had just met. She hadn't even realized what she was saying until she had said it.  
But, to her credit, Marceline was barely reacting.  
"That's pretty cool," the black-haired girl said, as casually as if Bonni had just told her an interesting fact about a TV show. "I bet you write poems then too, huh?"  
"Yeah, actually," Bonni said. "It's a hobby of mine."  
"You got anything on you dude?"  
"What, like a poem?"  
"Poem, lyrics, random scribblings, whatever!"  
Bonni hesitated, looked over at her notebook, then decided to take the leap.  
"Uh, there's this," she flipped to the back of her notebook to a short verse she had written that morning.  
Marceline went to take it at the exact moment that their teacher clapped his hands and told everyone to get ready to "dive back in."  
Bonni watched Marceline out of the corner of her eye as she read the note, then outwardly flinched when the bassist tucked it into her pocket.  
"Don't worry," she whispered to Bonni. "I won't show it to anyone. But I _will _have something cool for you tomorrow, OK?"  
The red-haired girl nodded, more out of curiosity than anything else.

"Shit," Gumble held open the bread and peered into his sandwich. "Dad always forgets I hate turkey."  
"Oh man, I love turkey!" Marshall yelped and reached into his own sacked lunch. "Trade you for tuna salad dude?"  
Gumble smiled in pleasant surprise.  
"I actually love tuna, thanks."  
"No, thank _you_!"  
The boys switched lunches and Marshall instantly bit into the bread.  
"Oh dude, you don't know what you're missing!"  
"Yeah, yeah," Gumble said, unwrapping the tuna salad. "I'll send your compliments to the chef."  
Marshall laughed, mouth full of turkey and bread, and then chewed thoughtfully.  
"Where did you move to our unassuming little suburb from man?"  
"The big city of Ooo," Gumble said with a small smile. "We lived in a loft at the intersection of Lost Cliff and Apple Orchard."  
"Oooh, fancy!" Marshall teased. "So why did you move _here _Lord Boehm?"  
Gumble's face fell.  
"Our parents divorced and our mom moved in with the guy she'd been seeing behind my dad's back," he said, a little bitterly. "So when my dad got the job offer out here, he jumped at the opportunity to move away from bad memories."  
Silence.  
Marshall just stared at him, shocked.  
"Gumble, I am _so _sorry!" he said. "That's awful man! I'm sorry I made you talk about it!"  
"Nah, it's fine," Gumble said but his voice was still dull. "We're a lot closer to our dad than our mom so moving out here with him was fine by me and Bonni."  
Marshall nodded.  
"I can understand that," he said pensively. "When our mom left and our dad was too busy with legal problems at work to look after us properly, me and Marceline didn't mind going into foster care as long as it was together."  
"You were in _foster care_?" Gumble cried. "That's terrible, I'm so sorry!"  
But Marshall was shaking his head.  
"Nah man, it was fine," he said. "We had our Uncle Simon and he was literally the best caregiver you could ever ask for. A great parent, really. We loved him."  
Gumble smiled.  
"That's awesome, do you still see him?"  
Marshall stopped chewing, his face collected gloom.  
"No," he said shortly. "Alzheimer's got him in the end. Last time we visited him, he had no idea who me and Marceline were."  
Gumble could only stare on in astonishment.  
"I can't _imagine _dealing with something like that," Gumble said in a hushed voice. "That must suck."  
Marshall shrugged.  
"It's not so bad now. We're back to living with our dad and he pretty much just lets us do our own thing all the time. He's still pretty busy with work, y'know?"  
"Sure," Gumble nodded. "Our dad is too."  
He thought for a moment.  
"You know," the redheaded boy paused before he went on. "As much as we're supposed to hate them, I kind of like having a sister there through all this shit."  
Marshall nodded in understanding, still relishing his turkey sandwich.  
"Yep," he said. "The camaraderie's pretty rad alright."  
Gumble smiled at him and the dark-haired boy smiled back.

"Oh my _gosh_, you _talked _to the Abadeer twins?" LSP seemed to be in shock. "And they _didn't_ try to knock either of you over and suck your blood?"  
"Dude, shut up," Jake laughed, nudging her playfully.  
"No way! You guys, you know I'm totally convinced that those two are freakin' vampires!" LSP's voice got shriller and shriller with each syllable.  
Everyone at the lunch table just laughed good-naturedly at her.  
"Nah, no blood-sucking," Bonni reported. "Marceline was cool."  
"So was Marshall," Gumble chimed in. "I had an awesome conversation with him over on the bleachers!"  
"Aww yeah dude, DMC's are where it's at!" Finn hollered. "Deep meaningful conversations for the win, yo!"  
"How much sugar have you _had _today boy?" Carla muttered to Finn.  
"You can invite them to movie night at my house this Friday if you want," Lada shrugged at the Boehms over her salad. "The more the merrier and all that!"  
"Cool, thanks Lada!" Gumble smiled.

Bonni looked out the window, feeling happy.  
Life in Advent Tides had been pretty good to her and her brother so far.  
And she couldn't waitto see what that "something cool" was that Marceline had for her tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: Hey everyone, thank you so much for all your feedback and support on Tumblr so far, as well as the reviews I've gotten here on . :)  
Special thanks to dickard23 for suggesting I change the format of my writing to make it more readable. I decided to take your idea onboard!  
Well, happy reading everybody and please keep giving me constructive criticism and advice!  
**__**  
**_"Hey!"

Bonni felt a tug on her rucksack strap and turned around. Marceline was standing there, black hair falling into her face and holding her gig bag.

"Oh, hey Marceline! What's up?"

"Check it," the taller girl gently took her wrist and guided her to a nearby empty stairwell. "Wanna see something rad?"

"Uh, sure!"

Marceline unzipped the gig bag and gently removed the bass, sliding down to sit on a step as she did so. She balanced the bass on her knee and positioned her hands.

"I don't have my amp so it won't have the same feeling as when I worked it out last night," Marceline told her. "But still, check it out!"

As she began to pluck a few notes from the bass, Bonni smiled at the melodic noise.  
Then, when Marceline began to sing, the red-haired girl felt her eyes widen.  
"_I've never had this dream before,  
The cage opens but I'm not free,  
Find a way to put on a brave face,_  
_Turn away from the debris,  
Follow me down to the river,  
So we might get a chance to float away,  
I feel the way the landscape looks,  
And right now, my sky is grey._"  
Bonni could hardly believe it.  
That was _her _poem, the one she had written in the back of her notebook.  
And not only had Marceline turned it into a song but she'd _captured _the feeling of it perfectly. The melancholy melody, the gentle strumming. It was exactly how Bonni had imagined the finished product to sound.  
Marceline winced when she saw the look of shock on her face, mistaking it for something else.

"Did I not get it the way you pictured it?"

Bonni shook her head, torn from her disbelieving thoughts.

"_No _dude, you got it perfect! How did you do that?"

Marceline just laughed.

"Thanks Bonni but it's far from perfect! Just something I threw together for you when I was practicing last night."

"Well, it sounds great," Bonni said. "Thank you Marceline."

Marceline tucked the bass securely back in its case, then winked at her, again making Bonni feel that strange blush burn out along her cheeks.

"No problem dude, it was fun to do," she told her. "Plus, I dug the words. They had that cool downhearted feel to them, it was awesome."

Bonni shrugged, smiled sadly.

"I didn't think anyone would find them 'cool,'" she said. "I wrote them to be sad."

"Oh hey, I know!" Marceline was quick to tell her. "I just mean that it was _poignant_, y'know? Striking. I liked working with it. Sometimes sad songs are the easiest to write because, well, you have an endless resource of material for them."

Bonni nodded, considering these words.

"That's very true," she agreed.

There was a brief pause between the two girls.

"Did you write that poem about moving here?" Marceline ventured in a gentle voice.

Bonni nodded, choosing not to make eye contact with the tall girl sitting on the steps in front of her.

"Yeah, and my mom cheating on my dad," she confessed, her voice barely above a mumble.  
But Marceline heard her.

"I can see that," she said. "Truth releases us but sometimes it's not a very _liberated_ release. Just like you said, _the cage opens but I'm not free._ I liked that line."

Bonni smiled, sat down beside the raven-haired girl on the steps.  
Looking at her, she could see why LSP had nicknamed her and Marshall "the vampire twins." Marceline suddenly looked tough with those long tresses of dark hair, high cheekbones and "punk" fashion sense.  
But then there was the kind eyes, the gentle movements of her body, the sociable half-smile that so often adorned her mouth.  
If Marceline _was _a vampire, she was a friendly one.

"Thanks, you seem to get exactly what I was going for!" she paused and then went on more quietly, "I hear you and Marshall have had your share of sadness too."  
Marceline nodded.

"Yeah," the bassist laughed nervously. "It hasn't been an easy ride for me and Marsh. But hey, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?"

Bonni saw the vulnerability break out over Marceline's face in those last few words. She looked away from Bonni and blinked, looking as if she was trying to think something away.  
The red-haired girl cursed herself for bringing it up at all.

"Hey. Dude. Anytime you want to talk..." Bonni began but Marceline was already smiling at her.

"Thanks Bonni," the taller girl said, standing up and stretching. "Means a lot. And the same for you, OK? Anytime you want to shoot the shit about how parents act like bigger kids than _we're_ supposed to be a lot of the time."

Bonni giggled and Marceline grinned at her, offering her a hand to pull her up.  
The shorter girl took it and Marceline winked at her again.  
Bonni found herself wishing she wouldn't do that.

Gumble packed his new locker carefully, mouthing the titles of his textbooks as he lined them up, mentally ticking them off the list in his head.

"Talking to yourself again?"

The cold voice blared out from behind him, accompanied by some obnoxious laughter.  
Gumble turned around grudgingly, seeing Lich grinning that nasty grin at him.  
He was surrounded by a group of his friends _(how does such a prick have so many friends?)_ who were all looking at Gumble expectantly. Obviously, they'd been promised a show.  
Gumble couldn't think of anything smart to say back so he just turned around, going back to filling his locker up.

"Hey."

Gumble felt a forceful poke at the back of his head, escorted by more scornful laughter.

"I'm _talking_ to you."

"Well _I'm _not talking to you."

"Hey!"

Lich's anger festered and he grabbed Gumble's neck forcefully. The red-haired boy twisted in his grip, feeling afraid and incredibly humiliated.  
But before he could even properly register what was happening, Gumble felt Lich's grasp leave him, seemingly being pushed away.  
He spun around in time to see Marshall shoving him to the ground.

"You piece of shit! Leave him alone, would ya?"

"_Dick_!"  
One of Lich's friends wrapped an arm around Marshall's neck, clasping him tightly in a chokehold.  
Lich bounced back up to his feet, giving Marshall a death stare.  
Gumble stood frozen to the spot, not knowing what he should do or say or -

"Hey!"  
Lich's friend let go of Marshall pretty quickly after getting a whack on the head from a heavy chemistry textbook.  
Marceline whipped around then and chucked the book straight at Lich.  
It hit him narrowly in the face, causing the heavily built boy to stumble backwards and grab his nose in pain.

"Now fuck _off_!" Marceline insisted, but that was when her own two wrists were grabbed and held firmly behind her back by another of Lich's friends.

"Hey, let go of her!"  
But as he reached out to help his sister, another one of Lich's cronies stuck out a leg and Marshall went sprawling along the ground.

All this time, Gumble was frozen, desperately wanting to help the Abadeers but not knowing how or when or even _what _to do.  
He needn't have worried though.

"_What _is going on here? Robert Lich!"

The principal, Mr King, rounded the corner, parting students left and right like the red sea.  
Lich and all his friends stood back from him as Mr King reached down and yanked Marshall up from the ground.

"Are you hurt Marshall?" he asked kindly.

"Nah, I'm fine," Marshall massaged his arm where he had fallen heavily. "Thanks sir."

"What about you Marceline? Are you alright?"  
His sister smiled and nodded at the principal, flexing her newly freed wrists.

"Yeah, I'm OK."

Mr King nodded and turned to Lich and his friends, sighed.

"My office, _now_."

By his tone, it sounded like the boys wouldn't need any directions of where to find it.  
As they trekked down the corridor, Lich turned around and gave Gumble a scathing look.

"Hey."  
Marshall reached out to touch Gumble's arm.  
"You OK?"

Gumble looked from Marshall's concerned features to Marceline's and back again.

"Yeah," he sighed eventually. "Thanks you guys. This kind of stuff always happens to me at school."

Marceline gave him a sympathetic look and opened her mouth to say something when she was interrupted.

"Well, it doesn't anymore!" Marshall said in such a forceful voice that both Marceline and Gumble looked up at him.

"It won't happen _here_," Marshall said determinedly. "I _promise_ you that Gumble."

And something in those piercing, honest eyes made Gumble almost believe him.


	4. Chapter 4

"Man, Robert Lich is such an asswipe," Finn said to others at the lunch table. "You sure you're alright Gumble?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Gumble said, massaging his neck. "Just a bit embarrassed is all."

Bonni turned swiftly to her brother, frown firmly in place.  
"You have no _reason _to be embarrassed!" she exploded. "It's that dick Lich who should be! I can't believe he'd do that to you!"

"Bonni, just forget it," Gumble muttered into his chicken wrap. "I had no right to expect this wouldn't happen here. I'm a prime target for bullies, remember?"

"Hey man, don't put yourself down like that," Jake said. "You _should _expect to get respect from everybody, no one has the right to treat you like you don't matter!"

Gumble managed a feeble smile in the dark blonde boy's direction.  
"Thanks Jake," he said. "I guess I'm just feeling a little low after this morning."

"That's understandable," Logan said kindly. "But don't blame yourself for this Gumble, it's not your fault!"

"Yeah, Robert is just a total scumball!" LSP added. "He treats everybody like this!"

"He's just a mean person and a bully," Lada chimed in, taking a bite of her apple. "You're a nice person, _and_ you're funny and smart. So therefore you're already better than him."

"Yeah man, you're great!" Fionna piped up, beaming at him. "Don't let stupid people get you down!"

Gumble nodded sadly, touched by the kind words and consideration of his new friends. But on his way to his next class, he couldn't help but feel glum.  
If Lich picked on everybody, why did it have to be _him_ now?  
If Gumble was so great, why did Lich reserve those filthy looks only for him?  
If Lich only ever talked garbage, why did it _bother_ him so much?  
Gumble trailed down the corridor, completely miserable and downtrodden.  
That's when he felt a hand clap down on his shoulder.

"Don't look so down bud," Marshall said with a kind smile. "Lich is a butt monkey. Everyone knows that."  
Gumble laughed.

"I know, I know, I just feel mortified," he told Marshall. "I mean, I just _stood _there, y'know? I didn't do anything to help you or Marceline out."

"Aww man, don't worry about it!" Marshall said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You didn't _want_ violence, you didn't _ask_ to be involved, you did the right thing just staying out of it."

"But _you_ didn't ask to be involved either," Gumble pointed out.  
Marshall crossed his arms defiantly across his chest.

"You're right," he told Gumble. "I didn't ask. Lich _demanded_ I get involved the second he started picking on you."

Gumble felt his eyes widen, a blush spread out across his face.  
Marshall gave him a friendly half-smile as the redheaded boy felt something move in his chest.  
He was totally moved by what Marshall had just said but he was also..._horrified_ by it.

"Please don't get yourself into trouble for me," Gumble pleaded with him. "_Please_. Just stay out of it!"  
Marshall narrowed his eyes at him, confused.

"Why?" he asked and if the dark-haired young man didn't look so handsome when he was perplexed, Gumble would have wanted to hit him.

"Because," Gumble went on impatiently. "You'll just start associating me with getting dragged into fights and arguments! And then – and then you'll stop – you'll stop-"

"I'll stop...wanting to hang out with you?" Marshall finished for him.  
Gumble looked at Marshall, then looked down at his feet, nodded.

"Yeah," he said dejectedly.  
A pause. Marshall surveyed the depressed-looking boy in front of him, feeling a great sympathy well up inside him.

"Is that what happened at your school back in Ooo?" he questioned gently.

Another nod, Gumble sighing.

"Bonni was practically my only friend left in the end," he confessed, blushing in embarrassment.  
Marshall nodded, the sympathy inside him transforming into a tidal wave of compassion and commiseration. He so badly wanted to reach out and hug Gumble but he didn't feel like their friendship was quite there yet.

"Well, it won't happen here," he said at last. "I'm not going to leave you on your own Gumble. Neither will Marceline or Finn or Jake or Fionna or Carla or anybody else. You've got friends now, _real _friends, you don't have to be alone here."

The small speech was so incredibly stirring that Gumble held up his head, looked into Marshall's eyes and found that he felt a lot better.  
As he opened his mouth to thank him, Marshall reached out, took Gumble's chin and pointed his face slightly upwards.

"Hold your head up high dude," he told him. "You have no reason to be ashamed. And plus," he grinned, "You look _good_ when you stand up straight."

Gumble's blush didn't leave him for the rest of the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonni looked angry as hell when Marceline walked into chemistry later that day.

"Whoa, who pissed in your cornflakes?" she teased, but the look Bonni gave her showed the bassist that she was in no mood.

"Sorry!" Marceline held up her hands defensively to show that she had meant no harm. "What's the matter yo?"

Bonni sighed and shook her head. Marceline waited a beat, then slid her bag off her shoulder and took the seat next to Bonni.

"Bonni, you OK? What happened?"

The genuine concern in Marceline's voice made Bonni look at her properly, and Marceline saw a great amount of sorrow in those (very pretty) eyes.

"Lich is such a fucking prick," she said simply and Marceline snorted with laughter.

"Tell me something I don't know!" she said, rolling her eyes. "He's an absolute fucking toerag," she giggled again, "what else are you upset about? That the sky is blue?"

That one made Bonni laugh, and that made Marceline smile broadly.

"Seriously though, don't worry about it," Marceline said, more gently. "Mr King _destroyed _Lich and his friends in his office today; yelling like a crazy person, calling parents, handing out detentions like they're going out of fashion, the whole nine yards! Lich will _definitely_ leave your bro alone after this."

"I hope so," Bonni said dismally. "I don't want Gumble to have to go through all this bullying shit again."

Marceline paused, fidgeted in her seat, unsure of what to say to that.  
Then she thought of Marshall's confidence after the fight that morning.

"He won't," she said, trying to mimic Marshall's self-assured tone. "We won't let him. You, me, Marshall, Finn, Jake, Lada, Logan, Fionna, Carla, LSP, BMO. The dude's got a whole _army _on his side, we won't let him down!"

Bonni smiled over at Marceline, touched by the sincerity in her voice.

"Thanks Marceline," she said, then thought for a moment. "You helped defend him this morning, didn't you?"

"Eh, kind of," Marceline said modestly. "Basically, I saw Lich and his friends terrorising him and Marshall so I-"

Marceline's words were cut off by Bonni giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks," she smiled at her, and went back to writing in her notebook.

It was Marceline's turn to blush for the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After that, an unspoken bond was established between the Abadeers and the group of buds.  
Marceline and Marshall became more like friends and less like strangers to the gang (although LSP still _swore _they were blood-sucking vampires), ascertaining Keila, Bongo, Guy, Bella, Oscar and Gertie as allies to the group as well.  
Marceline had been right – the amount of trouble Lich had landed himself in for fighting _again _that week made him stay well away from Gumble.  
He only shot him dirty looks from several metres away, but made no attempt to talk to him. Gumble was glad, although a little bit frightened that it wouldn't always stay that way.  
He tried not to worry though.  
He was doing well in his classes, had a great new group of friends and a fun social life. The movie night at Lada's that Friday became the first of many and the gang often hung out all together after school.  
He also frequently found himself ogoing over to BMO's house to play video games and was even invited on Marshall, Guy, Bongo and Oscar's bowling night three weeks later.  
Things were going great, he had no reason to complain.  
And, he began to think after a while, maybe the Abadeers were right.  
Maybe this time, he _wouldn't _be left on his own.


	5. Chapter 5

Prismo Day, (named after Jonathan Prismo, the pioneer who first founded Advent Tides in the 1780's) is celebrated on October 24th in the suburban town every year.  
The main town square was closed off and elaborately decorated, a stage for bands to perform on went up, magicians, jugglers and street performers were out in the dozens, market stalls were constructed, local businesses set up small booths to promote their stores, moonbounces and bouncy slides were inflated for the young kids and everyone went out to enjoy the day.  
The biggest attraction for Advent Tides' teenagers however was the large cluster of fields behind Jiggler Supermarket.  
Originally the Advent Tides golf course, the large grassy area now lay abandoned and was the "place to be" on Halloween, Valentine's Day, St Patrick's Day, high school graduation night and, probably most importantly, Prismo Day.

"You guys _gotta _come!" Jake was saying excitedly. "I nabbed some of my pop's rum – all we have to do is buy mixers and we're set!"

"I don't know-" Bonni began uncertainly.

"Gurl, please!" Carla cried. "I got some of my mama's wine, we'll have a ball!"

"Well, it's just that we-" Gumble started.

"I managed to get some beer too," Logan chimed in excitedly. "Come on, it'll be great!"

"And I bet we can get some of the guys to give us drink when we get there," LSP winked at Bonni, nudging her in the ribs. "You know, in case we're in the mood for something _sweeter_."

"Sweeter? You mean like last year when you made out with Steve Goliad _and _his cousin?" Finn said, cocking an eyebrow.

"And don't forget his next-door neighbour, that weird guy in the year below us who's always talking about destruction and Armageddon!" Fionna added.  
The whole table burst into noisy laughter as LSP crossed her arms and pouted.

"I hate you guys," she muttered.

"Hey," Lada took the opportunity of everyone being distracted to lean in towards Gumble and Bonni. "You guys don't have to drink if you don't want to. But you should still come out with us."

"Yeah!" BMO chirped, overhearing Lada. "Alcohol or not, everyone will have more fun if you guys join us!"

Bonni and Gumble looked at each other, Bonni shrugged.

"Are we in?" she asked her brother.

Gumble smiled.

"We're in," he said with a decisive nod.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marceline saw the security guard outside the liquor store frowning menacingly at her and took the hint, holding out her arms and herding her friends away from the front of the shop.

"What is _taking_ them so damn long?" Bongo asked snappily. "I want to get my drink on yo!"

"Calm down dude, they went in like fifteen minutes ago," Keila reminded him, shrugging her coat tighter around her shoulders. "They _have _to be out soon."

"I hope so," Bongo muttered irritably.

A car went by so the group huddled closer to the wall, Marceline and Gertie opting to sit on it.

"So..." Gertie flicked her long brown hair out of her eyes as she attempted to make conversation. "Anyone hoping to get lucky tonight?"

"I wouldn't mind making out with someone," Bella said conversationally, staring up into the rapidly darkening sky above them. "But there's no one in particular I have in mind."

"Same," Bongo agreed. "Just a nice and _mildly _good-looking girl would be pretty cool."

"And pretty high standard for _you_ dude," Marceline teased, causing the others to laugh and Bongo to aim a kick in her direction.

"Hey Marceline," Guy suddenly piped up.

"Yeah man?"

"Bonni's single, right?"

The question took Marceline by surprise.

"Uh...yeah, I think so. Why do you ask?"

Guy shrugged casually but was unable to keep a small smile from his face, which was immediately spotted by Keila.

"Oh man, _Guy's _got someone in mind for tonight! The new girl!" she cried triumphantly.

This caused the others to jeer and catcall.

"Somebody's got a cruh-ush!" Bongo teased in a singsong voice.

"Shut up, shut up!" Guy grinned, turning red. "I just think she's pretty, OK? So if the opportunity presents itself, why not?"

"Why not indeed?" Gertie said cheerfully. "It's Prismo Day after all!"

"Hey Marceline, you alright dude?"

Marceline looked up at the sound of Keila's voice.  
"Wha-? Oh yeah, fine, just daydreaming is all."

She bowed her head again as the others went back to talking about scoring that night, Gertie mentioning that she thought the tall and quiet Scott Scorcher was pretty good-looking.  
_Don't be stupid Marceline, you have no RIGHT to feel jealous.  
_So why did she? Why did the thought of Guy kissing Bonni make her feel so uncomfortable and, well, _sad_?  
It was a drunken night out in the fields, lots of people got tipsy and made out with other people and it meant nothing.  
So why did the idea of Guy looking to score with a single girl upset her so much? Was it because _she_-?

"Hey, at long last!" Keila suddenly cried and Marceline looked up.  
Marshall and Oscar were striding towards them, victoriously holding cases of beer.

"My fake ID worked!" Oscar whispered excitedly to them. "It actually _worked_!"

"What _took _you so long?" Bongo asked grumpily.

"There's always a long line on Prismo Day you fracking idiot," Marshall told him, and not without affection. "Now...who's ready to go to the fields?"

A cheer went up in the liquor store parking lot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonni was surprised at how completely packed the fields were. Everywhere she looked, young people were whooping and cheering, talking and laughing in groups, sitting on the grass and chatting or (the very drunk ones) dancing to non-existent music.  
She sat in a circle with Gumble, Jake, Lada, Finn, Fionna, BMO, Logan, LSP and Carla, all drinking rum mixed with orange soda and joking and laughing together.  
It was fun. She was having a good night.

"Hey guys," a slightly tipsy Jake (who had gone to town on his dad's rum) slurred at them. "What do you call a cow with no legs?"

"I don't know man," an equally inebriated Finn slurred back. "What _do _you call a leg with – a with cow no – a cow with no legs?"

"Ground beef!" Jake shouted exultantly and those who didn't laugh at the joke laughed good-naturedly at their drunk friends.

LSP hiccupped from all of Carla's mom's wine she had been knocking back.

"Oh my God you guys, I'm so _wasted_!" she cried, flopping down dramatically on the ground.

"Why do I get the feeling _you'd _get wasted on anything, even non-alcoholic beer?" Carla asked her and everyone laughed again, LSP swatting at her friend playfully.

"Oh man," Jake laughed, climbing unsteadily to his feet. "Where'd I put my bag? I want to mix up another one!"

He then fell over onto Finn who tumbled to the ground, causing the gang to burst out laughing again.

"Dude, I'm so glad we came out!" Bonni grinning to her brother. "This is _hilarious_!"

"I know!" Gumble said, still chuckling at Finn and Jake trying to get up off the ground. "And rum doesn't taste that bad at all!"

"It really doesn't," Bonni concurred, looking down at the red cup full of drink she had, at first, been reluctant to take.

But as she looked around the circle at her friends, Bonni knew she was in a safe environment with people she could trust.  
Back in Ooo, she would have never drank with her friends. Not that they were very good friends to begin with...They had even stopped talking to her when Gumble's bullying got bad.  
That was in the past now though. Now she and her brother were part of a band of sweet, fun, humorous and caring individuals.  
And as Jake got shakily to his feet only to lose his balance and fall to his feet again, Bonni knew she wouldn't want it any other way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I don't understand how I'm drunk!" Keila said indignantly to Marceline.

"You had _five _cans?" Marceline suggested, cocking an eyebrow.

Keila shrugged and took another swig from her sixth can.  
"That's probably it!" she said and swaggered away.

Marceline laughed and the motion made her sway on her feet.  
She could hardly talk about Keila drinking five cans, she was fairly intoxicated herself after all! It was then that she heard a familiar laugh coming from her far right and turned to face it.  
Then, with a drunken mindset and liquid courage pumping through her, she strutted off in the direction of Bonni Boehm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I don't believe this," Gumble muttered under his breath.

He, Bonni and BMO were standing several paces away, watching Jake and Lada lying on the ground and making out with each other.

"Believe it," BMO said, taking another sip of his drink. "Jake's actually had a crush on Lada for a while, I think the alcohol is just helping him to make a move."

Bonni smiled.  
"Lada told me the other week that she likes him too," she mentioned happily.  
BMO looked at the red-haired girl and grinned.

"Really?" he cried joyfully and looked back at the happy couple. "Oh, that's awesome, good for them!"

They observed for a couple more seconds before a feeling of unease began to creep up on all of them.  
"OK, watching them is beginning to feel weird," Gumble said, voicing all of their thoughts.

"Yeah," BMO and Bonni agreed and the three friends turned to face the other way.

"Still cute though," Bonni said and BMO grinned at her, nodding.

"So," Gumble said, putting a hand in his jeans pocket. "Can we expect any more hook-ups within the group tonight?"

BMO thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Nah, I don't think so," he reported.

"What about Fionna and Finn?" Bonni said suddenly. "I kind of think they'd make a good couple!"

"Yeah, they really would actually!" Gumble added. "Anything ever happen between the two of them BMO?"

BMO smiled knowingly at the twins.

"That's what everyone says," he told them, adjusting his turquoise baseball cap. "But they've known each other too long. They grew up together, they're best friends, it'd be like incest!"

"Yeah, I guess," Bonni shrugged. "But it'd be so _cute!_"  
But BMO shook his head.

"Nah," he said, but not without a smile. "They're too alike. They're like brother and sister!"

"I guess, I just-"  
But Bonni stopped when she felt someone sneak up behind her and place their hands on her hips.

"Guess who!" a tipsy whisper said in her ear.  
Bonni smiled, knowing her lab partner's voice by now.

"Oh gee, I don't know, hmm. Could it be..._Marceline_?"  
She turned around and the black-haired girl threw her hands in the air, letting out an animated cheer.

"Yay, you got it right!" she yelled happily and pulled Bonni into a hug.  
Bonni laughed and hugged her back, breathing in her signature scent of musty bedsheets, lived-in rooms and turned pages in old books.  
When they broke apart, Marceline kept her hands on Bonni's waist.  
She looked over the redhead's shoulder.

"Hey Gumble, hey BMO!" she called over to them.  
"Hey Marceline."  
"Hi Marceline!"

"Having a good night?" she slurred and they both nodded, laughing.

"Good," she said conclusively and looked back to Bonni, grinning.

Bonni thought the bassist looked so cute with that little tipsy, toothy smile that she couldn't help but giggle.  
Marceline looked over to her right and saw Jake and Lada still going at it.

"Whoa, your buds are hooking up!" she cried in surprise.

"Yeah, it's pretty shocking alright," Bonni agreed, laughing at Marceline's response.

"Mmm. Bonni?"

"Yeah Marce?"

"Don't kiss anyone tonight."

Bonni laughed at the oh-so-serious look on Marceline's drunk face.

"OK Marceline," she grinned good-naturedly, rolling her eyes.

"Well...no. Bonni?"

"_Yes_ Marceline?"

"Kiss _one_ person."

Bonni just chuckled again at her friend's intoxicated nonsense.

"Oh really? OK, who should I kiss?"

The smile was immediately wiped off her face by Marceline's lips crashing into her own. It took Bonni by such surprise that her brain seemed to shut down and then reboot. Marceline lost her balance slightly and pushed against her, walking her backwards into a tree.  
Bonni's back slammed into the bark, making the branches above them shake slightly.

"Sorry," Marceline made space between them momentarily to say.

"S'okay," Bonni replied and she was the one who leaned in to reunite their lips.

Bonni could barely believe what was happening and half-expected to wake up from this bizarre dream at any second. Then, with a jolt in her stomach, she felt a tongue lap at her lips and opened her mouth to allow Marceline access.  
_She's a good kisser_, was the one thought that continuously swirled around her slightly tipsy brain. _Even drunk, she knows what to do!  
_After a long while (that didn't seem _quite _long enough to either girl), they broke apart.

Marceline, seeming to realize what she had just done, blushed and offered Bonni a small, dopey smile.  
"OK," she said nonsensically and swung her legs into a drunken walk, back to the direction of her friends.

Bonni was still leaning against the tree and watched Marceline swagger across the dark field.  
She turned to her right and saw Gumble and BMO staring at her in open-mouthed disbelief.

"Well, there you go Gumble," BMO grinned at the redheaded boy. "Two more of our friends _did _hook up tonight!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gumble gave the fields a sweeping glance, searching desperately for Jake.  
His drunken friend had asked him to accompany him in finding a bush to pee in and Gumble (needing to go himself) had agreed.  
But now they had lost each other and Gumble didn't know these fields well enough to navigate them by himself in the dark.  
He had now somehow wandered into a secluded area of the fields where there didn't seem to be anyone around.

"Jake, where _are _you?" he mumbled angrily.

"_Still_ talking to yourself you fucking cuckoo?"  
Gumble felt the hairs on his neck stand on end as he turned around in trepidation.  
Lich was standing there, alone this time, but still as tall and powerfully built as ever. And judging by the way he seemed to be struggling to maintain a standing position, he was drunk which made him even more dangerous.  
Gumble's mouth went dry, he cleared his throat and he swallowed to try and get it back to normal.

"Robert, look-" he began civilly.

"Did you just _swallow_?" Lich hiccupped, swaying towards him. "What were you swallowing you weirdo?"

"Nothing. Look, Robert-"

"I said what were you swallowing?"

"I wasn't swallowing _anything_, I just-"

"Oh, I know what you were swallowing you filthy-"

And he said. He said the word Gumble was constantly called back in Ooo. He said the word Gumble felt most emasculated by. The word he hated the most.  
It was about to get worse.  
He turned around and saw Marshall, looking at Gumble with such a great pity in his eyes that it made Gumble wish the ground would open up and gulp him down whole.  
Marshall wasn't fazed though. A little drunk maybe but not fazed.

"What you say Lich?" he challenged the hefty boy.

"Marshall, please don't!" Gumble hissed but Marshall waved a dismissive hand at him.

"What did you _say_ Lich?" Marshall repeated again, in a more hazardous tone this time.

Lich stared at Marshall in contempt for a moment, then turned to Gumble and spat the word at him again, loudly and clearly.  
Gumble had never felt so humiliated in all his life.

"Oh," Marshall said casually. "Is that it? Is that the best you can do? Well, guess what Lich, if he's a faggot," he reached forward and looped his hands under Gumble's armpits, gripping his shoulders. "Then I'm a faggot too."

And he proved his point, there and then, by giving Gumble the most audacious, passionate kiss on the mouth he could have ever imagined getting.  
Lich yelped out, as if it was causing him actual pain, and threw his half-full beer can at them, now shouting the word over and over.  
But Gumble didn't care. He didn't care about anything at all in the whole world right now except this gorgeous man's mouth on his own.  
Seeing that he was getting no reaction, Lich kicked at the ground, yelled the word one more time, spun around and stormed off.  
Several seconds after that, the two young men broke apart.

Gumble panted from the shock and adrenaline.  
"You didn't have to do that!" he said quickly. "Seriously, there was no need."

"I wanted to dude," Marshall said quietly.

"But now Lich will-"

"Shut up about Lich, you're ruining my appetite."  
And Marshall swooped in again, passionately kissing the redheaded boy again.  
It was after a few seconds that Gumble was the one who braved adding tongue to the kiss, something that Marshall happily welcomed.  
They wrapped their arms more securely around each other and kissed for a long time, only stopping when they heard another (much friendlier) voice behind them.

"Whoa."

They broke apart and turned around, seeing Jake standing staring at them, sipping a beer.

"Oh man, Prismo Day," Jake said. "You gotta love it!"

Marshall and Gumble couldn't help but chuckle at Jake's drunken sentiment, Marshall affectionately squeezing Gumble's back as their laughter mingled together in the cool October air.


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't think Keila's going anywhere tonight," Marshall smirked, looking at the curly-haired girl passed out on their couch.  
Marceline just laughed and gently threw a blanket over her.

"She told her parents she was staying over here tonight anyway," she told her brother. "I think she anticipated that something like this might happen."  
Marshall laughed.

"At least she's self-aware!"

"True that bro."

Clicking off the light in the living room, the Abadeer twins climbed upstairs and into their separate rooms, beginning to get ready for bed.  
Just as she was pulling one of her favourite old T-shirts on to sleep in, Marshall knocked on Marceline's door.  
"Come in dude."  
Her brother entered, scratching his head absently.

"So, um, yeah," he began awkwardly. "You know the way we were all laughing about how I drunkenly kissed Gumble Boehm to teach Lich a lesson? Well, it, uh, might be a little more than that. Figured I should tell someone."  
Marceline nodded.

"I kind of guessed you liked him," she said, then paused, decided to go on. "Which is pretty coincidental because I kind of like Bonni too."

Marshall just raised an eyebrow at her.

"Of _course _you do," he laughed. "It's obvious. Every time she walks by, your back goes straight as an arrow and your face goes crimson."

He laughed at the way his twin was blushing right that second.

"Yeah but it doesn't matter," Marceline mumbled. "I don't know if she's interested in girls."

Marshall considered this, then shrugged.

"Well, she didn't push you off tonight when you were kissing dude," he pointed out, sinking into Marceline's beanbag by the door. "So that's a good start. With any luck, both her _and_ her brother will be like us. Caring more about attraction than gender."

"Yeah," Marceline sighed, flopping down on her bed. "But _two _sets of bisexual twins in one town? Does _not _seem likely man."

Marshall shrugged.

"It's not likely that we'd have a thing for two twins either," he said. "But chance seems to be on our side with this one dude."

Marceline nodded, mentally deeming this to be true.

"So what do you think?" she asked. "Is Gumble gay? I mean, not to stereotype but," she couldn't help but laugh, "he _seems _pretty gay."

"Yeah, he's quite camp," Marshall said, smiling slightly at the thought of Gumble's body language and general demeanour. "But I know that he got bullied at his last school for it. And often people who end up getting bullied for being gay-"

"-end up even more closeted," Marceline finished, wincing slightly. "Right. That sucks bro."

Marshall let out a long, miserable exhale of air.

"Don't I know it?" he paused, lying back on the beanbag and staring up at the ceiling. "I really _like _him Marce."

"I know dude, I know," Marceline glanced out her window and thought of Bonni. "Trust me, I know _exactly_ what you mean."

Bonni and Gumble were sitting on the living room couch, clumsily avoiding eye contact with one another but still desperately wanting to talk to each other.  
Gumble sighed slightly, glanced around the room and Bonni found herself feeling a great rush of love for him.  
He was a good guy; intelligent, well-spoken, kind, witty and caring.  
He was her brother and, in many ways, her best pal.  
No matter what had happened in the past year or so, with their parents or their so-called friends back in Ooo, with their extended family or those horrible bullies, they'd had each other.  
Gumble Boehm. Her brother and friend.  
If she couldn't talk to _him _about this, who _could _she talk to?

"Gumble," she began gently. "Are you gay?"  
Gumble looked up at her, a lot more defensively and sharply than Bonni would have liked him to.  
"Are _you_?" he demanded.

Deciding to ignore his tone, Bonni focused on his question instead and thought about it for a moment.

"You've had boyfriends before," Gumble reminded her as if she didn't already know.

"I have," Bonni confirmed. "I've had plenty of crushes on guys too. _And_ on girls. I just like people who are smart and sweet and funny I guess. I liked Crane Duff when I went out with him, and Brocko was a kind-hearted guy and-" she shrugged, realizing how simple it actually was, "now I like Marceline Abadeer! That's all there is to it really."

Gumble looked at his sister, wondering.  
Wondering if she knew how much she meant to him, wondering if she knew how calm her presence made him feel, wondering if she could ever _begin_ to understand how much he loved her.  
Even now he was making her feel peaceful and composed about this secret he had kept inside for so long. Terrified how those around him would react, even those closest to him, like his own father, mother or sister.  
Being petrified in school when his tormentors brushed on that subject, unearthing a truth he hated was real.  
He didn't want this. He didn't _need _this. He didn't want to be -

"I'm gay," he told Bonni.  
His voice was quiet but it seemed to scream around the empty house.  
Gumble's eyes dropped to the couch, he closed them, his chest jolting.  
He'd actually said it out loud, he'd actually -

Suddenly, he felt Bonni lurch forward on the couch, throw her arms around his middle and hug him tight.  
Gumble hugged her back firmly, grateful for the familial warmth.

"Gumble, don't look so scared," Bonni laughed, still holding on. "I'll always be here for you, you know that. Gay, straight, bi, asexual, whatever. You're my brother and I love you."  
The male twin had to actually hold back tears as he held his sister close.

"You're amazing Bonni," he told her with a grin. "Really. You're always right there when I need you, thank you so much!"

Bonni pulled away from him, held him by the shoulders, beaming.

"Don't thank me silly, that's my job!" she laughed. "Now _tell_ me dude, do you like Marshall?"

Gumble smiled to himself, looked down at his hands, looked back at his twin.

"Yeah," he said, and his smile verified it. "I do. A lot. But I'm _so_ scared Bonni. I get bullied for being gay already at school, imagine if-"

"Hey, don't think that far ahead," Bonni stopped him. "Other people and their dumb opinions come second. What comes first is you and Marshall. So what are you going to say when you see him next?"

Gumble's whole face went white and he puffed out some air.

"Oh fuck," he said. "What the hell _am_ I going to say?"

He peered at his sister.

"Quick, give me some tips, what are _you _going to say to Marceline?"

Bonni closed her eyes and put her head in her hands, groaning.

"Dude," she said. "I have no clue and I am _dreading _it! I was hoping _you'd_ give _me_ some pointers!"

Gumble just laughed.

"Well," he said. "At least we're in this together, right?"

Bonni looked up, smiled at her brother.

"Right," she agreed.

Lich stumbled home late on the night of Prismo Day and threw himself heavily down on his bed, drunk and still full of hatred.  
How dare those two freaks make out right in front of him like that. In _public_? It wasn't right, the two fuckers _had _to know it wasn't right.  
Lich's hands curled into tight fists, he gritted his teeth.  
He was going to teach a lesson to that gayboy Boehm...and his weirdo boyfriend too.


	7. Chapter 7

"So Jake asked me out on a proper date," Lada told Bonni happily, stirring her hot cocoa with such excited energy that she threatened to break the cup from happy swirling.  
Bonni grinned elatedly at her friend from across the table.  
It was Sunday night and they were in Lada's kitchen, Bonni having been invited over to keep the other girl company while her parents and siblings were out.

"God, that's _awesome_ Lada!" Bonni gushed. "Where are you going to go?"

"The new _Heat Signature _movie this Friday night," Lada replied, smiling down at her cup as if Jake's face was reflected in it. "I can't wait!"

Bonni couldn't help but giggle at the lovestruck look on her friend's face.

"I'm so happy for you," she said, sipping her drink. "Everything worked out great for you!"

"And for you!" Lada grinned, looking up. "I mean, you like Marceline, right?"

Bonni frowned at her friend, still with a smile on her mouth.

"How did you-?"

"Oh please!" Lada rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You could see it from space! You always have a smile on your face when you talk about her and you two are constantly _flirting _when you're together!"

"You think she flirts with me?" Bonni was quick to ask.

Going to bed on Friday night, she had fallen asleep content in the knowledge that she and Marceline felt the same way about one another.  
But as the weekend wore on, she was becoming more and more nervous that it had just been some drunken fun on the taller girl's end, and there was nothing real between them.  
But if _other _people thought they were often flirting...

"Of course," Lada nodded. "She wrote you that _song_, remember?"

Bonni made a see-saw gesture with her hand.

"Kind of, I mean technically it wasn't a song _for _me, it was sort of like a colab," Bonni paused, then looked back at Lada with a small frown. "So wait, you don't care that I'm-?"

"Gay, bi, whatever?" Lada smiled. "Couldn't care less Bonni, a crush is a crush in my mind."

Bonni beamed over at her friend, visibly moved.

"And _you _have a big crush on Marceline!" Lada went on, a big smirk on her face.

Bonni brought her mug up to her lips, smiling broadly.

"Shut up," she told her friend.

* * *

Gumble pounded his thumbs on the video game controller, sitting between BMO and Logan on the couch. Fionna was the fourth player, lying across the armchair next to the TV.

"So...Jake and Lada, Marceline and Bonni. Anyone know of any other hook-ups?" Fionna brought up curiously.

"Finn made out with that girl, Flana Prince," Logan conveyed. "You know, who goes to Emberbrook High? I don't know if anything's going to come of it though."

"Oh man, her older brother is _hot_," Fionna immediately retorted. "Good for Finn. Anything else to report?"

Gumble nearly told them. He nearly opened his mouth and told them there and then.  
They had all reacted so well to Bonni and Marceline, and he had been extremely comforted by it (_and _immensely relieved).  
But he and Marshall had made out in the most secluded area of the fields so no one in the group knew about it yet.  
Gumble felt his mouth shut again, all the while keeping his eyes on the screen.  
It wasn't just about acceptance and reaction; it was about how he felt himself. He didn't _want _anybody to know yet. Not until he was more comfortable with it himself.  
Not until he talked to Marshall.

Gumble's character in the game died in an explosion.

"Whoa Gumble, you got _totalled_!" BMO yelped. "You gotta pay more attention man!"

Marceline plucked the strings on her bass, gathering speed as the rhythm got more complex.  
She watched her fingers dance up and down the fretboard, nodding her head to the beat, hypnotised by her own tempo.  
She opened her mouth, began to sing the lyrics she had written only twenty minutes ago.

"_What am I supposed to say?  
When you always take my breath away?  
Is it alright if I don't have the words you need?  
Can you just stay a while here with me?_"

A loud knock on her door interrupted the song.

"Come in!" she called.

Marshall pushed open the door, holding his guitar in one hand.

"Bring your bass and amp into my room," he instructed his sister. "I think we'll be able to work together nicely on this one."

* * *

Marceline hesitated. This song was quite personal for her.

But then she caught sight of her brother's unquestioning, trustworthy eyes and knew that if anyone would understand what this new number meant to her, it was him.  
She smiled, stood up and scooped up her amp.

Barely half an hour later, the twins were perfectly in time with one another, playing through their new song with vigour and energy.

"_What am I supposed to say?  
When you always take my breath away?  
Is it alright if I don't have the words you need?  
Can you just stay a while here with me?_"

Marshall took over the vocals from his sister from there, bursting ardently into the chorus.

"_I don't care what they'll say, all I want is you,  
I know you're scared and I am too,_  
_But I'll take on every wave from this changing tide,_  
_If I can just stay by your side._"


	8. Chapter 8

"You two are awfully quiet this morning," Perry Boehm commented over Monday morning breakfast with his children.

Bonni looked up quickly from her coffee and toast, blinking in surprise.

"Whuh?"

Gumble, on the other hand, didn't even glance up from stirring his spoon round and round in his cereal.  
Perry looked from one twin to the other, frowning slightly.

"What's going on guys?" he asked.  
Bonni forced a laugh.

"Nothing Papa, it's just Monday morning," she then forced a yawn. "We're tired is all."

Perry narrowed his eyes at his daughter, obviously not completely convinced. Picking up his coffee mug to take a sip, he looked across the table at the other twin.

"Gumble," he said. "Ist alles in Ordnung?"  
His son nodded, looked up, hid his worry behind a smile.

"Ja Papa," he reported. "Like Bonni said, just exhausted and not looking forward to a whole week of school."

Their father shrugged his shoulders and returned his attention to his coffee.

"I guess I can believe you," he said fairly. "I'm pretty tired too after all ... Now, anyone for a lift to school?"

As they stepped out of their father's sleek black Nissan and crossed the front lawn to the school, Gumble sighed and looked at his sister.

"What do I _say _to him Bonni? I'm terrified."

Bonni gave her brother a sad smile.

"Oh trust me dude, I know _just_ what you're going through," she sighed, looking up at the redbrick building as if it were an obstacle course. "All weekend I've been thinking about it and I have no idea what to say to Marceline."

Gumble followed her gaze, wondering if he'd leave that building later on today happy or sad.

After a brief chat with their friends before the morning bell rang, Gumble bid goodbye to the group (and wished Bonni good luck) before making his way to English class on the top floor.  
_Marshall is in this class, _his brain reminded him, and his stomach churned uneasily, his palms instantly gathering sweat.  
The walk from the ground floor made him a minute or two late for class, probably more due to the fact that he had also been _willing _himself to get there slower.  
He creaked open the door and his heart made a loud clatter against his rib cage when he saw Marshall sitting three rows back from the front, next to Bongo.  
The dark-haired boy's eyes met his immediately and Gumble ... quickly tore his gaze away, instead looking to the teacher and mumbling an apology.  
She nodded and gestured for him to sit down so he scurried quickly to the back row, even though there was a free seat right next to Marshall.  
He saw Marshall looking back at him a few times during class but he pretended not to notice. Then when the bell rang, he rushed right past him without saying a word.  
He caught sight of the Abadeer boy again at break on the second floor west corridor but doubled back as if he had forgotten something and scampered back the way he came.  
_I'm not ready for this, _he thought agitatedly, sweat breaking out on his brow. _Oh dear God, I'm not ready for this._

Bonni sat in chemistry, heart hammering, pretending to be composed.  
_Stop being so silly, just calm down, just Calm. Down. It's only Marceline, you see her every day!  
_But no matter how many times she tried to convince herself, she knew the Marceline that would strut through that door (gosh, she loved the way she walked) any second was slightly different to the one who'd sat next to her in this very classroom so many times before.  
This one would be the girl she'd _kissed_, who she had a crush on.  
Her eyes darted feverishly back and forth from her notebook to the door and back again. She puffed out some air, desperately wanting Marceline to show up and not wanting her to come in at all at the exact same time.

"Hey Bonni!"

In her agitated state, the red-haired girl nearly jumped out of her seat upon hearing her name.  
She turned around slowly and smiled at the girl behind her, Susan Strong.

"Yeah?"

"Hey," Susan huddled closer to Bonni over the lab desk and glanced begind her to make sure no one was listening. "Is it true you made out with Marceline on Prismo Day?"

Bonni felt her cheeks burn red.  
"Uh..."

"Oh my gosh, you _did_!" Susan laughed, but it was not an unkind laugh. "You guys must have been pretty wasted, huh?"

"Yeah," Bonni laughed, turning back around and happy to leave it at that.

It was then that she saw her. Marceline looked in the door window at the chemistry class and caught Bonni's eye.  
Which was when Marceline looked back for a second and then walked away from the classroom.  
Bonni frowned. That was odd.  
She wondered if Marceline had decided to make a quick trip to the bathroom or if she had forgotten her textbook.  
Or if she just didn't want to talk to Bonni...  
But surely she was as eager to discuss things as Bonni was, right? Right?  
_She'll be back in a minute, _the red-haired girl told herself. _Don't be such a baby.  
_But she wasn't back in a minute. Or five minutes. Or ten. She wasn't back in twenty minutes or even thirty. Bonni ended up having to do that day's experiment with Susan whose lab partner was also absent.  
Marceline didn't even make an appearance for the second period of the double class.  
She ditched the entire thing.  
And Bonni left the classroom feeling numb because of it.

Storm clouds gathered in the sky around mid-morning and there was a heavy rain falling by the end of the school day. The dark grey skies and lashing water didn't add to anyone's good moods, especially Marshall's.

"You're such a fucking idiot!" he told his sister, who glared at him. "You had the perfect chance to talk to her and you blew it!"

"Shut the hell up Marshall," Marceline growled, not even looking at him. "It's complicated, alright?"

"Pfft! No it's not, you just chickened out..."

"Oh yeah?" Marceline shot, suddenly furious. "Please enlighten me with how well your own crush is going mastermind!"

"He's fucking _ignoring _me!" Marshall barked, so fiercely that a few passing students in the hallway looked around, causing the male twin to lower his voice slightly. "I don't even know if he likes me anymore."

A silence ensued where Marshall threw open his locker and began angrily tossing books inside.

"He does like you," Marceline said after a long hush between them. "He's probably just nervous. Doesn't want to mess it up."

Marshall stopped aggressively thrashing his locker with textbook projectiles and gave his sister a quizzical look.

"That doesn't make any sense," he told her. "If you like someone, you want to be around them. _I_ want to talk to _him_."

"Well why do you think I'm keeping away from _Bonni_?" his sister snapped. "Because it's oh-so fucking _fun_?"

She sighed, slumped her shoulders, let out a low growl of frustration.

"I'm scared man," she admitted then, in a much softer tone. "Alright? I'm scared."

Marshall let out a long disgruntled sigh, running an irritated hand up over his face and through his hair.

"Right, OK," he said, and met his sister's gaze. "You grow a spine and go find Bonni, I trap Gumble into an awkward conversation he doesn't want to have with me?"

Marceline grabbed her bag, threw it over her shoulder.

"Sounds like a plan dude."

Marshall grunted and rolled his eyes.  
"Does it? Oh God..."

Gumble had stayed behind to talk to his history teacher at the end of the day and ask him a few questions he already knew the answer to. He was hoping the rain would ease off by the time they'd finish talking ... _and_ a certain Abadeer would have gone home.  
That's why his heart practically froze in his chest when he got to his locker and saw Marshall standing right next to it, arms folded.

"Hey," he said, before Gumble could pretend not to see him.

"H-hey," Gumble choked back stupidly.

Marshall took a few steps forward, arms still folded authoritatively over his chest.

"So, you avoiding me or something?"

"Uh..."

"Don't lie," Marshall said, looking straight into Gumble's (handsome) eyes. "It's a simple question Gumble. Are. You. Avoiding. Me."

The red-haired boy looked away from Marshall, looked back at him, glanced down at his feet, looked back again.

"A little," he admitted.

Marshall's dark, striking eyes filled with hurt.

"Why? Did you decide you don't like me anymore?"

"What?" Gumble yelped. "_No!_"

"Was kissing me a _mistake_ Gumble?" Marshall's tone was getting more and more defensive by the second.

"_No_! Listen to me," Gumble cast a fleeting look around them, making sure no one was eavesdropping. "I _do_ like you Marshall. A lot," they both blushed at that confession, "but I'm _scared_, alright? I've never had a relationship with another guy before. I'm nervous, partly because this is all new to me but mostly because I don't want to mess anything up and disappoint you."

Marshall's expression changed from one of angry paranoia to surprise and sympathy.

"What? You _can't_ disappoint me dude," Marshall argued. "And even if you did, who cares? I like you, you like me, we can work out any bugs along the way."

Gumble blinked in surprise at the young man before him. He was stirred by how much Marshall seemed to want to make this work when it hadn't even started yet.  
Then he noticed the expectant look on the dark-haired boy's face and realized he'd better reply.

"Oh, OK," Gumble couldn't think of a single other thing to say. "So what happens now?"

Marshall smiled mischievously.

"I was hoping you'd ask," he said. "You free to hang out this Friday night?"

"Uh, yeah, sure!"

"Cool, well I'll talk to you between now and then obviously but we'll set that date as our, well, _date_?"

"Sounds great!"

Marshall beamed.

"Good."

Then he glanced around the rapidly emptying corridors to see if anyone was looking and leaned in hastily to give Gumble a very quick peck on the lips.  
It was so fast and so brief that the red-haired boy barely even registered it until Marshall walked away with a "see ya later" and he was left on his own, feeling happier than he had in a long time.

Marceline sat on the wall directly outside the school's front doors, sheltered by the bit of ceiling jutting out from the wall.  
Students went past her with hoods up and holding books above their heads to avoid getting wet. It really was _lashing_ now, raindrops bouncing fiercely off the road and running a small river through the gutters. It was so hypnotising to watch that Marceline nearly didn't see Bonni when she walked out.  
She turned around just in time for their eyes to lock.  
Bonni paused, halfway through the act of putting up a light pink umbrella.

"Hey," Marceline said.

Bonni just glowered at her.

"So you're talking to me now?" she said coldly.

Before the black-haired girl could even respond, Bonni stalked past her, umbrella balanced on her shoulder.

"Hey, wait!"

Marceline leapt off the wall and hurriedly followed the redhead down the steps.

"You're just going to _walk away_ from me?" she cried incredulously.

Bonni stared at her, eyes wide in indignation.  
_She's pretty when she's angry, _some dopey voice pointed out from the back of Marceline's brain.

"You walked away from me today," Bonni replied callously. "I'm just returning the favour."

Bonni went to turn away again but Marceline gently grabbed her arm.

"I was scared!" Marceline said quickly, feeling the heavy rain soak quickly through her hair and clothes. "I thought you might have changed your mind about me or-or seen it as just a stupid drunken kiss or maybe even-"

The black-haired girl was then distracted by Bonni positioning the umbrella above Marceline's head, and huddling slightly closer, so they were both sheltered from the downpour. The act was so comedically subtle that Marceline couldn't help but let out a laugh. Her howl of mirth was contagious so Bonni giggled too and eventually they were both chuckling together in the rain.  
Marceline looked at Bonni, smiled warmly at her.

"I'm sorry," she offered. "I didn't mean to be a jerk."

"I'm sorry too," Bonni said. "I just really needed to see you this morning Marceline, y'know? I thought you were avoiding me because you didn't want to have to deal with me."

Marceline laughed.

"Princess," she said affectionately. "You're _all_ I want to deal with."

"You're _so_ cheesy!" Bonni rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

Marceline shrugged, still smiling herself.

"And you're _soaked_," Bonni said, grabbing at her sodden jacket sleeve. "Why did you chase me into the _rain_ you butt?"

"Why do you think?" Marceline asked. "I've got a thing for you Bonni. Plain and simple."

Bonni turned away momentarily to hide her blush from Marceline.

"Well can you go home and change your clothes so you don't get hypothermia?"

"Of course," Marceline said. "I'd hate to be sick for our date this Friday night."

"Good, well you better go change then," Bonni said and it was only when Marceline grinned and began trekking happily away that the redhead registered what she'd just said to her.


	9. Chapter 9

"We are _not _going on a double date," Marshall told his sister firmly from where he sat, sinking into the bean bag by her door.

Marceline rolled her eyes, arms folded and pacing back and forth across the bedroom in front of him.

"Well, duh!" she retorted. "God, of course not, that'd be weird!"

"Glad we agree on that," Marshall grumbled. "We agree on _too _much if you ask me! Why the hell did you have to tell Bonni _Friday _dude?"

Marceline stopped pacing in indignation, glaring at her brother.

"Why did _you_ have to tell _Gumble_ Friday?"

"Well, how was I supposed to know?" Marshall cried angrily, throwing his arms up in the air.

"And how was _I_-? Oh dammit, never mind! Let's focus on the _real _issue here dude."

Marceline sighed and locked eyes with her brother who looked back at her, staring and serious.

"Who gets to use Dad's car?"

"Man, I can't believe it all worked out so great!" Gumble cried, practically jumping up and down with glee in the Boehm kitchen.

Bonni smiled over her after-school cup of tea. She couldn't remember the last time she saw her brother this happy.  
Plus, she was feeling pretty darn delighted herself!

"It is pretty perfect dude!" she replied. "But I wonder where the Abadeers consider a good place to go on a date!"  
Gumble had to laugh at that one.

"Well I guess that's part of the adventure, isn't it?" he said to her, grinning. "Urgh, I bet this week is going to go by so slowly now, I can't _wait_!"  
Bonni giggled, partly because her twin's excitement was contagious and partly because she could hardly wait herself.

"Oh!" she said suddenly, remembering "I haven't told Lada yet! I should tell Lada, that girl is going to _flip _when I tell her I have a _date_ with Marceline Abadeer! And I should tell the others too I guess...but Lada first!"

Bonni snatched her phone off the countertop and made to walk out of the room when she stopped halfway in realization...and embarrassment. She turned slowly to Gumble who was smiling in such a way that made it clear that he didn't mean it.

"Oh, ich bin so blöd," she scolded herself quietly. "Es tut mir leid. I almost forgot..."

Gumble forced his fake smile to be broader and, in doing so, less convincing.

"Hey, no problem!" he told his sister. "You should share the good news with everyone else in the group! They'll be so happy, they already think you and Marceline would make a great couple!"

Bonni smiled gratefully at him.

"Thanks bro," she said softly, then took a long pause.

"What's wrong?"

"You know, you _could _tell them if you wanted to. They've all been so supportive of me and Marceline, I'm sure they'd be overjoyed for you and Marshall too!"  
But Gumble was already shaking his head.

"No, I don't think that would be a very good idea," he said flatly.  
Bonni raised her eyebrows in surprise.  
"Why not? Surely if they accept _me_ for who I am, they'll -"

"It's not about _them_ Bonni," Gumble interrupted her, but not impolitely. "It's about me. How _I _feel about it. I'm not ready. You know, myself."

Bonni smiled, crossed the kitchen and put her arms around her brother in a hug.

"Whenever you're ready dude," she told him confidently. "Wherever and however you want to tell everybody, I'll support you."

Gumble smiled.

"Thanks Bonni," he said, hugging her back. "That means a lot to me. Now," he pulled away from his sister, "don't you have to call Lada?"  
Bonni grinned and ran from the room excitedly, already flipping through her mobile contacts for Lada's number.

"Flip a coin?"

"No, too easily rigged. Rock, paper, scissors?"

"No, I have the worst luck at that! Draw straws?"

"How is that supposed to work with two people? Let's just roll dice or something!"

"What? _No_!"

The Abadeers grunted, sighed and let out frustrated grumbles, trying in vain to decide who would get the prized custody of their father's car that Friday night.

"Man, this is annoying," Marceline complained, pushing hair out of her face. "How did we used to settle these types of arguments when we were kids?"

Marshall let out a small laugh.

"We wrestled until one of us cried or quit," he reminded her.

"Oh yeah!" Marceline smiled at the childhood memory.

Then both their faces went deadpan and they looked at one another.

Gumble could hear his sister nattering excitedly to Lada on the phone in the next room, all the while keeping the regal composure she was so good at maintaining.  
He smiled, genuinely happy for Bonni, but couldn't stop the gurgling motion in his stomach that made him wish _so badly _that he could be on his phone too, sharing the good news with the gang.  
Well he _could_. Bonni was right, they'd probably all be nothing but thrilled that he had a date with the guy he liked!  
But it was about something more than just _telling _them or telling people in general. It was about admitting something, opening a can of worms, doing it on his terms and no one else's...  
It was about accessing a certain level of primal honesty, it was about acceptance of actions and the consequences of those same actions.  
It was all very complicated and very messy.  
He blinked back tears as he picked up his rucksack and headed for his bedroom.  
It was all very depressing too.

"Aaargh, Marshall, get off!"

Marshall grinned.

"Give up yet?"

He had his sister shoved down onto her bedsheets by her head, her arms flailing uselessly around her.

"Urgh, no _way_!" she growled and swung out one of her fists to hit him.  
Her brother caught it effortlessly in his own hand, and laughed derisively at her.  
That was his mistake.

Marceline took advantage of his arrogance by kicking up her leg and administering a sharp kick of her heel just above his knee.  
"_Ow_!"  
As he jumped back in shock, she kicked his other knee and he lost his balance, toppling to the ground and freeing her instantly.

"A-ha!" Marceline pounced on him and they rolled futilely around on the floor, a flurry of awkwardly thrashing limbs and irritated growls.

"OK, OK!" Marshall snapped eventually. "This is getting us nowhere!"

"Agreed," Marceline puffed, rocking backwards to sit cross-legged on the ground. "Any other bright ideas?"

Marshall thought hard for a moment, then a smile spread out across his face.

"Actually," he said, grinning. "I do!"


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's Note: Guys, I know authors' notes aren't the most terribly exciting thing to read in the world but please read this one, I'd really like you to see it. :)  
At the risk of sounding mushy and melodramatic, I want to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who has shown such support and encouragement for this story. I've gotten some brilliant reviews, excellent writing advice and very valuable constructive criticism which I really appreciate. :)  
And the praise and kind words I've received over this story has been just phenomenal. It might sound dramatic and overemotional but it really makes me feel delighted to know that people genuinely ENJOY my work.  
So thank you so much. :)  
**_  
"Where are you going again?" Perry narrowed his eyes at his children.

Gumble and Bonni looked up sharply from the TV set, eyes like that of two deers' caught in headlights.

"Uhhh," Gumble said eloquently.

"Out to get pizza and then a movie!" Bonni said quickly, nudging him in the side. "With the whole gang from school!"

Perry raised an eyebrow.

"A little dressed up for pizza and a movie, aren't you?" he questioned and while Bonni fumbled to find a reason, Gumble was the one with the quick answer this time.

"Yeah, we thought so too but all our friends dress fancy when we go out so me and Bon didn't want to be left out this time!" he said, in a quite convincing tone.

Their father nodded, looking like he just about believed them.

"I guess kids really _are_ into the formal look these days," he said thoughtfully. "Actually, an employee of mine is always talking about how her daughter _loves _to get all dolled up in make-up and a nice dress and – Oh! Is that car for you two?"

A glossy black sportscar rolled up to the house and both twins suddenly leapt up from the couch as if it had turned red hot.

"Yep, that's us!" Bonni said quickly. "Bye Dad!"

Perry bade his children a good evening, hugged them both briefly and then watched through the window by the front door as they made their way down the driveway and into the car.  
He chewed his lip pensively, wondering why on earth they were being so secretive. Did they not think their father knew a date when he saw one? Or a _double _date rather? Did people still do that these days? It seemed so anyway.  
As the car revved up again and drove out of sight, Perry whispered four words under his breath.  
"Don't hurt them please." 

* * *

Bonni sat next to driver Marceline in the front seat, Marshall and Gumble in the back.  
No one spoke for the first two minutes or so, all four of them suddenly feeling very nervous and very sweaty-palmed.

"So," Marceline broke the tense silence by looking into the rearview mirror back at her brother. "Where am I dropping you two kids off?"

"The main entrance to the park is cool," Marshall said, and smiled at the quizzical look on Gumble's face. "I've got something to show you."

"Cool," Marceline said, and returned her eyes to the road.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Bonni looking at her, but didn't trust herself to meet her gaze without blushing or doing something stupid.  
So she just kept driving.  
Down through Advent Tides main street, taking a left at the police station and towards the park, eventually arriving at the front gates.

"Awesome, thanks Marce," Marshall opened the car door and grinned at Gumble. "You coming?"

Gumble smiled and followed Marshall out the door, catching Bonni's eye in the rearview mirror and exchanging a "good luck!" smile with her on his way out.

"Thank you Marceline," he said, as he slipped past her, and the tall girl replied with a thumbs-up and a smile.

Gumble shut the door after him and Marceline drove away, watching the two young men disappear in her sideview mirror, and then (finally) plucking up the courage to turn her attention to Bonni.

"What are you going to show me?" Gumble asked curiously, but Marshall just smiled at him.

The two entered the front gates of Advent Tides Public Park. Gumble smiled. He had been here a handful of times before, just hanging out with the gang, and it even looked pretty after nightfall.  
The whole park was centred around a lake in the middle, not _too _big but big enough to be the focal point of a considerably large park.

"Come on dude," Marshall said, and led Gumble down a pathway to the left. "This way."

Gumble raised an eyebrow, but then followed. 

* * *

"Where are we going?" Bonni asked when she suddenly realized they had left the boundary of Advent Tides.

Marceline grinned over at her.

"Somewhere really cool," she said. "Trust me, you'll like it."

Bonni sat back in her seat, oddly calmed by those words. If it was anyone else driving her out of a town she was _barely _familiar with and not telling her the destination they were heading for, she'd be panicked and annoyed.  
But somehow she knew she was safe with Marceline. Out of harm's way. Protected.  
Everything was alright.

"OK," she said. "I trust you."  
That made Marceline glad it got dark by seven o' clock in November, Bonni couldn't see her big flattered smile at Bonni saying she trusted her.

But then she gripped the steering wheel a little bit tighter, gulped nervously, thought desperately hard of something to say before conversation dwindled out awkwardly.  
She needn't have worried.

"Tell me something I don't know about you yet," Bonni said suddenly.

Marceline looked over at her and raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the request.

"Like what?" she asked with an amused smile.

"Like anything," Bonni shrugged.

Marceline looked back to the road, thought about it for a beat.

"Hmm, OK, eh..." she considered telling Bonni several different facts about herself before she settled on one. "I have a dog. Schwable. Dad bought him for me and Marshall when we first moved into the house but Marsh hates him ever since he bit him a while back so he's mostly mine."

"Aww, that's cute! What type of dog is he?"

"A poodle," Marceline told her, and Bonni smiled at how happy Marceline looked talking about her dog. "A little white fluffy dude."

Bonni raised her eyebrows, smirking.

"I didn't think _you'd _have a fluffy, little anything!" she teased and Marceline laughed.

"Well there you go dude! You asked me to tell you something you didn't know about me yet and I did," she shrugged her shoulders, still smiling. "Now it's your turn. Tell me something I don't know about _you_ yet."

"Hmm," Bonni looked out the window at the dark blue sky turning quickly to black. "Well, I guess _one_ fun fact about me is that I'm fluent in German!"

"Pfft, cheater!"

Bonni smiled, amused.

"Why am I a cheater?"

"You can't do German in school if you're already fluent! That's cheating!"  
That statement made Bonni burst out laughing. Marceline savoured the sound.

"How did you get to be fluent anyway?" the black-haired girl asked her. "Is your dad German?"

"No but _both_ sets of my grandparents are from Germany," Bonni told her. "When my dad met my mom, they kind of bonded over it, both being the kids of German people. So they married and had us and they even thought about moving the _whole family _to Germany a few years ago but then, well, yeah..."

Marceline glanced over at her as she trailed off, the redhead's eyes suddenly losing some of their happy glow.

"Have you talked to your mom at all since moving out here?" she ventured gently.

"No, not really. Well, a bit," Bonni sighed. "She's moved in with this new guy. But apparently the apartment's too small for me and Gumble to come visit. I don't know, I think we remind her too much of our dad for her to want us around."

Marceline felt such a sense of empathy well up inside her chest, it threatened to overwhelm her.

"I get that," she said softly. "My mom _hated _my dad by the time she up and left us. A part of me thinks that she hated him so much that she ended up hating his children too."

Bonni looked up, shocked at this statement.

"She doesn't hate you," she said, and with such confidence that Marceline could nearly believe her. "No one could ever hate having a daughter like you! She probably just doesn't know what to say."

Marceline shrugged.

"Maybe," she said, secretly touched by Bonni's words. "I don't even know where she _is _right now though. I guess she just really doesn't want to see me and Marsh."

"That's crazy," Bonni said, shaking her head. "It's such a massive loss for her not to know you."

"Yeah, well it's a massive loss for _your_ mom not to want you and Gumble to visit her," the taller girl replied. "I mean, fuck, this date hasn't lasted twenty minutes yet and I'm already happy to just be talking to you Bonni."

Bonni smiled.

"Thanks Marceline, I'm happy to be talking to you too," she told her. "I'm glad you understand these types of things."

"Yup," Marceline sighed, hesitated, and then decided to risk it and see if Bonni appreciated dark humour. "I understand that the day my mom comes home is the day _your_ mom builds an extension onto her apartment for you and Gumble."

Bonni looked up sharply at the driver. And then she laughed. And laughed. And laughed. 

* * *

"Where are you _taking _me?" Gumble laughed, following Marshall through a thicket of trees and into one of the more isolated areas of the park.

"You'll see," Marshall said, and hopped up onto a small embankment, squeezing himself through two birches. "Nearly there, hurry!"

The red-haired boy followed, chasing Marshall through another thick grove and into...

"Wow."

He looked above him and saw they were in a small coppice, entirely enclosed and sheltered by trees.

"It's like we're indoors," Gumble observed, staring into the tall gnarled branches above that formed a type of roof.  
He was just noticing how dark it was in the undergrowth when Marshall yanked a battery-operated lantern out of his bag, turned it on and set it down at the side of the large circular enclosure.  
He then took out a picnic blanket a laid it carefully on the ground.

"Care to sit monsieur?" he asked Gumble and redhead laughed as he sat cross-legged on the throw.

Marshall then took a cream soda and a cherry soda out of the rucksack and sat down next to Gumble, stretching out his legs.

"Welcome to my office," he winked at the other boy as he handed him the can of cream soda.

Gumble could only smile in amazement.

"We're here!" Marceline announced suddenly, and swerved into a small car park.

"_Whoa_!" Bonni clutched the dashboard and Marceline laughed.

"Sorry, I kind of forgot where the turn was exactly!" she said. "You OK princess?"

"Yeah, fine," Bonni replied, using her long hair to hide her blush at the use of a nickname.

"Cool, glad I didn't give you whiplash!" Marceline said happily, as she parked the car next to a small, rundown building. "Ready dude?"

"Where are we?" Bonni quizzed.

Marceline undid her seatbelt, opened her door and grinned excitedly over at the red-haired girl.

"Come see!"

"So how did you happen upon this place?" Gumble asked, still looking around in astonishment at the bent trunks and twisted branches.

The black-haired boy took a long sip of his cherry soda.

"I came to the park for a long walk one day after a bad day at school when I was about twelve," Marshall told him. "We had just moved in with Dad, Uncle Simon was developing Alzheimer's quickly, and I was getting bullied at school. So I-"

"_You _got bullied at school?" Gumble interrupted, wide-eyed. "But you're so-"  
But Marshall was already shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter what I'm 'so,'" he told Gumble patiently. "Bullying is the luck of the draw. It can happen to anyone. _Anyone _can be an easy target as long as they have some-"

"Bullshit reason that isn't actually a reason," Gumble finished for him acidly.

"Exactly," Marshall nodded. "Either you're too loud or too quiet, too big or too small, you know too much or too little. Whatever stands out about you is prime material for bullying dude! Even if it's not a bad thing at all."

"That's true," Gumble considered. "Anyway, sorry, I interrupted your story. You came here after a bad day."

"Yeah, and I just came here to get away from everything," Marshall picked up from where he left off. "But people were staring at the crying twelve-year-old so I made my way as far out of view as I possibly could. I just climbed deeper and deeper into the trees until I found," he smiled in admiration of the coppice, "this place. _My _place. And ever since then, I always come here when I'm upset. It calms me down, keeps me centred. It's just relaxing here, ya feel me?"

Gumble nodded, smiling around at the enclosed space.

"I do," he replied. "And I feel _it_. It's just so peaceful here. So cut off from everything else. Really calming."

Marshall beamed, delighted that Gumble could feel the comforting effects of this place too.

"It is," he agreed.

Marshall's hand then casually left its resting space on his knee, slowly moved down towards the ground and found Gumble's.  
As their fingers entwined, both young men still looking happily around the grove, Gumble gave Marshall's hand a small, firm squeeze. And Marshall smiled very broadly. 

* * *

As soon as Marceline and Bonni entered the small ramshackle building, the red-haired girl realized that it was a tavern.  
Not a very big one but big enough for a bar, several tables and a small stage at the back.  
It was quiet too, inhabited only by about fifteen or sixteen people who all looked about college age.  
The atmosphere of the bar was calmness broken up by the occasional laugh or excited remark, nothing too wild but still fun. Something Bonni could really enjoy.

"Want a drink?" Marceline asked. "I'm driving so I'm just getting a cherry soda."

"Yeah, that sounds pretty good, I'll have one too."

Marceline grinned at her.

"Cool, go grab a seat. I'll be over in a minute."

Bonni hesitated for a moment, then scanned the room and saw a table for two by the stage, next to a group of laughing college students.  
She made her way over to it and sat down, just as a tall boy from the group turned around to her.

"Excuse me," he said politely.

Bonni looked up, blinked.

"Yes?" she said.

"Sorry to bother, it's just that my friend here," he jabbed his thumb at the girl sitting next to him. "Is saying that she doesn't have the confidence to go up on stage tonight, so I'm trying to prove a point to her. Wouldn't you be disappointed if you didn't get to hear one of her poems tonight?"

The girl rolled her eyes at her friend but then gave Bonni an affable smile.  
Bonni smiled back at her, and was about to tell her to do whatever she felt most comfortable doing, when she caught sight of Marceline ordering their cherry sodas at the bar.

"I say take the leap," she advised her, with a small shrug. "Who knows? Try something different and you might end up with something really great!"

The girl considered this, pulling her face in a "sure, why not?" expression.

"Thanks!" the guy said gratefully to Bonni, then he paused and went on. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Bonni had just opened her mouth when Marceline swept in and answered for her.

"No thanks buddy," she said, but it was in a friendly way. "She's already got one."

The guy smiled and held up his hands in a "I-mean-no-harm" kind of way before turning back around to his friends.

"Marceline," Bonni said as the raven-haired girl took the seat next to her. "Did you bring me to a _poetry_ reading?"

Marceline narrowed her eyes in mock offence.

"Of course not Bonni!" she said sarcastically. "What type of sissy do you think I am? I took you to a shady bar in the middle of nowhere where you're currently being hit on by sleazy people!"

"_He_ didn't seem so sleazy," Bonni countered with a smirk, nodding in the direction of the table beside them.

Marceline took a sip of her soda and winked at Bonni over the rim of the tumbler as she did so.

"I wasn't talking about _him _princess."

Before Bonni could say another word, a small balding man walked out onto the stage and announced the beginning of the poetry slam. 

* * *

"Did you ever kiss another guy before me?"

The question caught Gumble by surprise, but Marshall had asked it as casually as could be.

The two guys were both lying on their backs on the blanket, looking up through the enclosure of trees and into the inky black sky above.  
They were still holding hands.

"Uh, yes actually," Gumble told him. "Both back in Ooo. One was just during a game of truth or dare with this other guy, back when we were fourteen years old. The other was with this guy I actually liked a lot. We were hanging out in my bedroom one day and one thing led to another and we kissed. But it got all awkward after that and he didn't want to talk to me anymore."

"Man, those are some romantic stories you got there Gumble!" Marshall said derisively and the redhead just laughed.

"What about you?" he asked. "Got a record sheet a mile long of boys you've made out with?"

To Gumble's great surprise, Marshall shook his head, no.

"Nope," he reported. "I've had plenty of _crushes _on guys before and felt comfortable coming out to Marce after _she_ kissed her first girl but personally, I just never got the opportunity. Until last Prismo Day."

Gumble felt his cheeks go red.

"So I was your-?"

"Yup! My very first kiss with a guy."

"Wow."

The taller boy turned his head to face Gumble, grinned.

"Proud?" he asked haughtily.

Gumble turned his own head and looked back at Marshall, at his darkly handsome features and wildly energetic eyes that still held such a _lively _kindness.  
He smiled.

"Very," he said, and leaned in to bring their lips back together after far too long apart.

* * *

The poetry reading was great.  
Bonni was enthralled by nearly every last poem they heard, ranging in emotion from sadness to joy to anger to love, and back again. The girl at the table next to them ended up reading out a brilliantly written elegy about the "death of summer." Bonni raised her glass to her as she walked offstage and the girl beamed.  
After the last poem was read, Marceline and Bonni ordered two more sodas and stayed a while longer, laughing and chatting together until it was closing time.  
It was when they were leaving the tavern that Bonni found the courage to reach out and take Marceline's hand. She was glad she did, the taller girl's fingers felt good interlinked with her own.

"This was great Marceline," Bonni said as they walked outside into the open air. "Thank you so much for taking me out here!"

"No problem dude, I thought you might like it. And maybe next time you'll have the guts to get up there and read a poem of your own!"

Bonni smirked over at her, the idea of reading out her poem _not _the part that caught her attention.

"_Next _time?"

Marceline stopped walking just as they reached her father's car, frozen in the spot, her cheeks turning red.  
_Idiot! _She mentally snapped at herself. _Way to keep cool!_

"Uh, only if you want there to be one," she said, and she looked so cute with a blush on her face that Bonni couldn't help but lean in again and press their lips together.

She had one hand on the taller girl's shoulder, the other on her cheek.  
Marceline put her hands on Bonni's waist and pulled her slightly closer, making their kiss slightly deeper.  
Marceline then pushed the redhead gently down onto the bonnet of the car and kissed her bottom lip, chin and cheek.

"I definitely want there to be a next time," Bonni said quietly, just as Marceline leaned in to kiss her on the mouth again.

"Good, me too," Marceline said as she pulled back, and began a line of kisses down Bonni's face and to her neck.

Bonni closed her eyes and put her head back slightly, enjoying the sweet sensation of Marceline caringly sucking and kissing her neck.  
Then her eyes flew open as she gasped, and then laughed.  
Maybe LSP was right after all, the Abadeers _could _be vampires.  
Marceline sure could bite like one... 

* * *

Shortly after that, Marceline and Bonni drove back to the park and picked up Marshall and Gumble.  
The car was much more lively on the way back, both sets of twins talking and joking animatedly on the drive to the Boehm house.

"Don't leave me waiting too long to hear from you," Marshall said quietly in Gumble's ear as he made to get out of the car.  
Gumble just looked back at him, smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth.

Marceline pressed her lips quickly to Bonni's.

"Goodnight," the black-haired girl smiled. "Rest up for the next time I see you!"

"I will," Bonni winked, sliding out of the car. "Goodnight Marceline."

Marceline honked the horn as she pulled away, and both Bonni and Gumble waved.  
Marshall rolled down the window and stuck out the heavy metal horns as the car drove around the corner and out of sight, making both twins laugh.

"Hey!" Gumble cried suddenly, catching sight of something. "Did you get punched in the neck or-?"

He burst out laughing.

"Shut up!" Bonni complained, putting her hand over the hickey defensively. "Is it _that_ noticeable?"

"Yep, you've been marked as somebody's property alright!" Gumble grinned, and his sister rolled her eyes (albeit with a small smile).

Just as they reached the front door, it flew open and Perry Boehm was standing there in his dressing gown and slippers, making both twins jump.

"Thought I heard you out here!" he said with a smile. "Welcome home! How was your night?" 

* * *

After making up some crap about great-tasting pizza and an action-packed superhero movie, Bonni and Gumble went upstairs to bed.  
Perry's gaze followed them, wondering if they really thought he was so out of touch with reality that he couldn't tell they'd both been on dates tonight.  
_Must have been with those two who picked them up_, he reasoned.  
And that means that it was the black-haired creature in the car that gave his daughter that _thing _on her neck.  
Perry sighed, then smiled to himself.  
Oh to be young again.


	11. Chapter 11

Bonni and Gumble decided to host a movie night that Saturday evening and as their friends filed in, eager questions and excited shouts filled the air.

"How was the big date Bonni?"

"Where did she take you?"

"Did you have fun? What was it like?"

"Did you guys smooch?"

"What's that thing on your _neck _dude?"

After relaying the whole story of the date to Lada, BMO, Logan, Fionna, Carla, Jake, LSP and Finn, the whole gang let out animated whoops and yells.

"That sounds _awesome _dude!" Fionna gushed. "You must be so happy right now!"

"Dude, the hint that she's happy is on her neck!" Jake grinned around the room and everyone burst out laughing.

"Shut up!" Bonni complained, but Finn just made sucking noises and everybody laughed harder.

Gumble smiled courteously from the armchair in the corner, genuinely delighted for his sister, but also deeply jealous that he couldn't join in with the fun and pass on the details of his own date.  
_One day_ he reminded himself, but the very thought was tinged with bitterness.  
He got up to go get a drink, excusing himself with a hollow grin, and made his way to the kitchen, heaving a heavy sigh.  
The redhead was busying himself with getting a glass of cream soda when he heard a voice behind him.

"You OK dude?"

He jumped and spun around to see Jake standing in the doorway, smiling amicably at him.

"Oh Jake, it's just you. You scared me!"

"Sorry man, didn't mean to," the dark-blonde boy shrugged. "Lada's just telling everyone about _our _Friday night date now and I didn't want to stick around and give Bonni a chance to get me back for that neck comment!"

Both young men laughed.

"Yeah, I can understand that," Gumble smiled. "How _was_ the date though?"

The way Jake's face softened and his eyes went warm and amorous made Gumble realize how much he really liked Lada.

"It was great man," Jake said in a sweet, gentle voice. "Really, I had an awesome time. How was yours?"

Gumble frowned at him, his heart skipping a nervous beat.

"Wh-what?"

"You and Marshall," Jake went on softly, with an affable smile. "I saw Marshall buying a cream soda and cherry soda down by the corner shop next to the school on Friday afternoon. Knowing what a big cream soda fan _you _are," he nodded to the glass in Gumble's hand, "I put two and two together."

Gumble just narrowed his eyes, even more confused.  
He glanced in the direction of the living room and Jake, following his gaze, calmly closed the kitchen door.

"What do you mean you put two and two-?"

"Dude, you know I saw you!" Jake laughed. "On Prismo Day? I was staggering around drunk, looking for you, and I stumbled upon you and Marshall's big smooch!"

Gumble's eyes went wide, the colour drained from his face, he stared in disbelief and horror at the other guy in the room.  
Someone knew. Someone _apart from him and Bonni _knew.  
And what if he told? What if he let _everybody _know? What if he already had? What if Gumble walked into school on Monday morning with every last classmate knowing he was gay?

Jake watched Gumble's face contort in revulsion and instantly understood.  
_Poor guy_, he thought sympathetically. _He must be really uncomfortable with all of this._

"Dude," Jake said gently, stepping forward. "Don't look so scared. I haven't told anybody and I _won't _tell anybody, not if you don't want me to. Trust me, I know that this is _your _business and no one else's. It's not my secret to tell."

Gumble nodded slowly, still surprised, but not feeling half as panicked.  
He looked hard at the dark-blonde boy, who smiled back at him, and felt a sudden surge of admiration and respect for Jake.  
He may not have gotten to know him _quite_ as well as Logan or BMO or Fionna or Carla yet but now he knew they could be great friends.  
Jake was going to be there for him.

"Thanks Jake," Gumble told him, smiling broadly. "I appreciate it _so _much, you have no idea. You're a good friend, thank you."

"Hey, you don't have to thank me man, we're buds," Jake told him. "Now grab me a cola please and let's get back in there before we miss the start of the first movie!"

Gumble could only beam at him in gratitude.

Robert Lich pounded the punching bag in his garage furiously, whacking it hard and pretending it was those two freaks.  
He'd stayed away from them this past week, wanting them to feel safe, wanting them to feel _happy_ in their perversion, so that they would never see it coming.  
He gave the punching bag an extra hard thump.  
But no more avoiding them, no more letting them carry on like this.  
Next week, he was going to get them.  
Next week, those two weirdos were going to _pay_ for being so disgusting right in front of him.


	12. Chapter 12

Monday morning was cold but sunny, and would stay that way for most of the day.  
The November chill was firmly embedded in the air so students walking to school wrapped themselves in hats, scarves and coats, snug and secure.

Bonni left the house about twenty minutes before Gumble, who needed more time to perfect a biology assignment, and found Marceline waiting for her at the school steps.

"Yo BB," the taller girl greeted her. "I have something for you."

She reached behind her and took a silver thermos from where she had been letting it rest beside one of the stone bloodhound/pug's big concrete paws.

"It's hot chocolate," Marceline told her, handing her the container. "I like to think I make a pretty mean cup! Just give me the flask back at the end of the day. Cool?"

Bonni took the thermos, looking at the black-haired girl in shock.  
Marceline looked back at her, smiling, and then sniffed hard. Bonni noticed that her nose was red and her cheeks flushed, she had probably been hanging around out here for her for a while.  
Bonni felt her heart thump at the thought. The idea of it was absolutely moving.  
Marceline Abadeer, tough no-nonsense chick on campus, waiting in the cold to give the girl she was currently seeing a cup of hot cocoa.  
Who would've thought it?

"Marceline, that's _really _thoughtful of you," Bonni said, still surprised. "Thank you so much. But look at you, you must have been freezing out here waiting for me! Why didn't you text me?"

Marceline smirked at her and winked.

"Well then, it wouldn't have been much of a surprise, would it Bonni?"

The redhead smiled and leaned forward to give Marceline a kiss on her cold cheek.

"You're sweet," Bonni said, and Marceline smiled at her.

"So are you. Now come on," she sighed and looked up reluctantly at the redbrick building. "Education's a-waitin'!"

Bonni laughed as they ascended the steps together.

From a short distance away, Lich eyed them angrily, analysing their every interaction with each other.  
Did girls often give each other friendly kisses on the cheek like that? He didn't think so.  
Their filthy brothers were at it, so what if those two were too?  
He grunted, sickened by the thought, but then made himself forget about it as he stomped away to the bike sheds for a cigarette before class.  
He'd focus on Marshall and Gumble for now.

The biology assignment took longer than he expected it would and so Gumble ended up running the last block or two to school, gathering speed as he reached the front lawn and realizing that there was no one hanging around outside.  
_I must be even later than I thought!  
_He made his way quickly to the steps, climbed up them, and burst inside into the deserted hallways.  
He rushed to his locker, flung it open, and did his best to organise himself at a rapid pace, throwing books back and forth from his bag to his locker quickly.

"English book, German notes, biology book..."

"_Still _talking to yourself?"

Gumble whipped around, and his heart sank when he saw who it was.

"Robert, I-"

"You're a _crackpot_ Boehm, you know that?" Lich spat, not letting him finish. "I don't know how Marshall Abadeer even _wants _anything to do with you. But then again," he let out a mean laugh, "the guy's a fucking freak."

That sentence made Gumble feel something he'd never felt in Lich's presence before.  
The fear and dread stepped quickly out of the way to make room for red-hot, unforgiving anger.

"Don't talk about Marshall like that in front of me!" Gumble shot at him, so viciously that even he was stunned.

Lich blinked at him in shock, but then the cruel look returned to his face.

"Or what?" he asked coolly. "What the fuck would you _do _about it?"

"Just leave us both alone and you won't find out," Gumble told him, courage still intact. "We didn't _do_ anything to you, alright? So just leave us be and we won't bother you. And besides-"

But Gumble was interrupted by Lich storming furiously forward, grabbing him by the neck and slamming his head hard into the locker behind.

"You didn't _do _anything to me?" he snarled, right in the other boy's face. "You _kissed _each other right in front of me like the dirty animals you are. Do you have any idea how disrespectful that is? Do you have any idea how fucking _disgusting _that is? I'm not putting up with that shit you filthy" he said the word Gumble hated so much "Do you hear me? You and your little boyfriend are disgusting and I'm not tolerating your bullshit. It's not _fucking_ right!"

He gave Gumble's head another forceful smack into the lockers just as the bell rang, signalling the start of second period.  
The hefty guy then stamped away, shooting Gumble a livid death stare as he went.

As the corridors filled with students making their way to their next class, Gumble stood frozen to the spot, astounded by what had just happened, and very, very scared of what could happen next.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's Note: **__**Toxicradd53**__** asked me to make the chapters a little bit longer, and I thought that was a fair request, so I made this one extra long. :)  
So you can thank him for having a bit more to read. ;)**_

"Man, Lich is just a prick, plain and simple," Jake said comfortingly.

Gumble sighed, shook his head.  
He'd been eating lunch alone on the school's front steps when Jake had stumbled upon him on his way back from gym and asked why he wasn't with the rest of the group in the school canteen.  
So Gumble had told him what had happened that morning, and mentioned that he didn't think he'd be very good company to eat lunch with.  
And Jake had tried his best to reassure him that nothing bad was going to happen, that Lich was all talk and everything would be fine.

"I know he's just a prick," Gumble replied as Jake sank down next to him and took out a sandwich. "But I'm still scared. And I hate that," his voice grew angry, "I _hate_ being scared of people like Lich. I know they're just idiots, I know they're just cruel people, I know they're just mean, but when they're slamming my head into lockers and calling me a fag, that 'just' doesn't matter."

"Dude, if he _touches _you again, go tell the principal," Jake told him.

"I'm not a rat," Gumble said shortly and then turned around sharply when Jake let out a snort of laughter.

"A _rat_? Gumble, this isn't a prison drama," Jake said, still laughing. "You shouldn't ever have to stomach somebody giving you a rough time for no reason. And asking for help doesn't make you a rat, it actually makes you pretty darn brave. First step to solving the problem is _admitting_ there is one and all that jazz."

Gumble's eyes widened in sudden realization.

"I never thought of it that way before," he said dreamily, as Jake took another chomp of his sandwich.

"Yeah, I'm a lot smarter than I look," Jake said, mouth full, and that made Gumble laugh.

"Thanks Jake," Gumble said. "I guess I'm just scared."

"I can understand that," Jake said nodding. "I got bullied in elementary school a lot for being so chunky-"

"You're not fat!" Gumble interrupted, frowning at him.

Sure, Jake was a little stocky and thickset, but he wasn't exactly what Gumble would have classified as overweight.

"I was when I was younger," Jake said, patting his belly. "Puppy fat. But anyway, after a while I learned that the only time it gets _really _bad is when you keep it to yourself. Secrets are lonely things man, you gotta let somebody know. A teacher, your mom or dad, the principal, a guidance counsellor, or even just someone you trust. But keeping it all locked away is a real no-no dude, trust me."

Gumble nodded, taking it all in.

"You really are a good friend Jake," he told the dark-blonde boy. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Jake said casually, polishing off the end of his sandwich. "And try not to be worried. If Lich wants a piece of you, he has to go through all of _us _first."

Gumble smiled, touched by Jake's confidence and loyalty to him.

"Now come on," the other boy told the redhead as he stood up. "Let's not deny our friends the pleasure of our company for the _whole _lunch break."

Gumble laughed as he got up off the steps himself.

"You know, I'm glad you know about me and Marshall," he said brightly, as they climbed the steps together.

Jake smirked and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why did it come as such a shock dude? You _knew_ I saw you at Prismo Day!"

"Yeah but," Gumble laughed. "I thought you were _way_ too drunk to remember it!"

Jake smiled and shrugged his shoulders in a "fair-enough" gesture.

"Yeah," he agreed. "To be honest, when I first woke up the next morning, I couldn't remember _who exactly _you'd been making out with – Marshall or Finn."

Gumble burst out laughing at that one. 

* * *

"This experiment is going all wrong," Marceline complained as she and Bonni hunched over the bubbling beakers together.

The red-haired girl just looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" her lab partner shrugged, and Bonni rolled her eyes.

"Dude, it was meant to be 0.5g of sodium carbonate, you just poured the whole _flask _in!"

Marceline shrugged indifferently.  
"Oops."

Bonni couldn't help but laugh at the laid-back look on Marceline's face, and Marceline grinned back at her.

"Sorry Bonni," she said, flicking absent-mindedly through the textbook. "But you're smart, you'll fix it."

"Gee, what a vote of confidence," Bonni said, _carefully_ measuring out the sodium sulphite. "It'll take a miracleto salvage this experiment now."

"Mmm," Marceline flipped idly through the pages of the chemistry textbook. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Uh...nothing, why?" Bonni's full attention was on the experiment.

"Wanna hang out? Marshall's going to the movies and Dad's at a business conference overnight, so we'd have the place to ourselves."

Bonni abandoned all interest in the experiment then, looking up wide-eyed at Marceline.

"Eh, yeah, OK," she said and Marceline smiled.

"Cool, you can stay the night if you want and we'll come to school together in the morning."

Bonni nodded as she returned her focus to the experiment, wondering vaguely if she had agreed to something she was really _ready _for.

* * *

"Hey."

Gumble looked up roughly from his locker but relaxed entirely when he saw who it was.

"Oh. Hey Marshall."

Marshall raised an eyebrow at him, smiling slightly.

"You looked on edge for a second there," he said. "Everything alright dude?"

"Yeah," Gumble said, closing both his locker and all thoughts of Lich. "Everything's fine, I just had a long day."

"Same," Marshall said, nodding, and the two boys began to walk down the hallway together.

The black-haired young man made a furtive grab for Gumble's hand but the redhead subtly moved it up to his head to absent-mindedly drag his fingers through his hair. He then brought the hand to rest on his rucksack shoulder strap.  
Marshall shrugged. He must not have seen that he was trying to hold his hand. Plus, he looked _cute _when he ran his hand through his hair like that.

"What are you doing later?" Marshall asked.

Gumble smiled at him hopefully.

"Is the answer 'something with Marshall?'" he asked slyly, and the taller guy smirked at him.

"Well, well, aren't you perceptive?" he said, cocking an eyebrow. "But yes, that is the correct answer. Monday is student night at Advent Tides Cinema so Bongo, Guy, Keila and I are going to see the new _Heat Signature _flick. You in?"

Gumble stopped short, looked at him.

"Your _friends _are going?"

Marshall just laughed.

"Yes, my _friends _are going," he replied, giving Gumble a quizzical (but playful) look. "Why? Do you not want to hang out with such _ruffians_?"

"It's not that," Gumble retorted, not joining in with Marshall's good humour. "I'm just wondering; if I go tonight, would you and I be going as _friends_?"

Marshall gave him a slight frown, playfulness dying away.

"Well no, I thought we were dating," he said and the insecurity in his voice made Gumble want to cry out in dismay.

"Of course we are!" Gumble said quickly.

A teasing smirk returned to Marshall's face.

"Oh good," he said. "For a second there, I thought you weren't interested anymore. But thank goodness you seemingly can't _live_ without me."

The dark-haired boy chuckled and Gumble forced a laugh along with him.

"But seriously," Marshall went on, still smiling. "Why are you being so weird about this dude? We can go out with my friends as two people who happen to be seeing each other, they won't mind."

"But _I'll_ mind!" Gumble said, so hastily that the smile disappeared from the other boy's face immediately.

"Why will you mind?" Marshall asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"Because," Gumble looked around the corridor, as if searching for the words in mid-air. "Because I'm not _ready _for everyone to find out about us!"

Marshall stared at him, perplexed.

"But everyone _won't _find out about us," he said. "I'm talking about _four _of my _friends_."

"I know," Gumble said shortly, beginning to get mad at Marshall's lack of understanding. "But I don't want _anyone _to know!"

As soon as he said it, he regretted the phrasing. Marshall looked hard at him and Gumble saw the hurt in his eyes. But before the redhead could do anything to rectify the situation, Marshall was talking again, fast and angry.

"Fine," he said. "If you don't want _anyone_ to know, no one has to know. Forget the cinema tonight and take some time to figure out what the hell it is you want Gumble but I won't wait forever for your answer."

And with that, he slouched away, hands stuffed in pockets, not looking back.

"Wait!" Gumble tried to follow him but a herd of students passing by got in his way. "_Wait_! Marshall!"

But Marshall was already gone.  
Gumble threw his head back, closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh.  
_How did I mess everything up in the space of five minutes?  
_He ran a hand worriedly over his face as he walked out of the school, feeling stupid, scared, miserable and alone.  
Just as he got outside, the message tone on his phone went off and he snatched it out of his pocket eagerly, hoping it was Marshall.

_Hey Gumble. Don't wait for me after school today, I'm going home quickly to gather up a few things before spending the night at Marceline's. I already texted Dad and told him I'll be studying late for a German exam at Lada's – if he asks, tell him the same thing. Have a good night, Bonni._

Gumble read the text twice, feeling more and more dejected each time.  
Great. Now he didn't have his sister to talk this over with.

He walked home by himself slowly, angry and sad and confused and about a thousand other emotions he couldn't even begin to understand.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bonni stood outside her house, waiting for Marceline to come pick her up since she didn't know the way to the Abadeer house herself.  
She read over the text she had sent to Gumble, realizing that it resonated a lot more confidence and security with the situation than she actually felt.  
On one hand, Bonni was _very_ much attracted to Marceline and was both curious and willing to explore new things with her.  
But on the other hand? She was nervous. Worried. _Afraid_.  
What if she couldn't do it right? What if she messed up and Marceline thought she was a loser? What if she was no _good _at it?  
She threw her head back, closed her eyes and sighed, a trait of irritation she and Gumble had both inherited from their father.  
Her thoughts wandered back to her twin and she found herself sincerely hoping that his own new relationship wasn't raising such complicated issues as hers was right now.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's Note: Guys, I got an anon in my inbox on Tumblr asking if they could draw fan-art for this story and I accidentally deleted it! So if you are that anon (or if anyone else just WANTS to), yes, of course you can, I'd be so totally flattered and overjoyed!**_

_**Now, narwhal pointed out to me in the reviews that my habit of jumping back and forth between narration can be a bit confusing so I've tried to make it clearer in this chapter. Let me know if it's better! :D**_  
_**And Toxicradd53, I'm always happy to take on people's suggestions for improving my writing so no thanks are necessary. Thank YOU for offering up your idea. :)**_  
_**Also, if you check your inbox, I answered your other question too!**_

Bonni sat cross-legged on Marceline's bed, waiting for her to come back from the bathroom. She took the opportunity to look around the room, taking in the rock posters, CD collection, books, figurines, DVD's and a few toys kept from childhood as keepsakes.

It was a comfortable room, fairly big but still snug, with the same light-hearted atmosphere hanging in the air that Marceline seemed to always carry with her.  
Bonni sighed slightly, adjusted her seating on the bed, stretched out her legs.  
_Stop being such a baby, everything's fine! _she reminded herself.  
But she still couldn't help but feel nervous.  
Suddenly, the bedroom door opened.

"I'm back yo!"

Marceline walked over to the bed and sank down next to Bonni, picking up a small pile of DVD's from her bedside table as she did so.

"Did I tell you I'm taking you to see the new _Heat Signature _movie?" the dark-haired girl asked conversationally.

"No."  
Bonni smiled at how casual Marceline was when she was being thoughtful.

"Oh. Well I am, so I thought we should catch up on the other movies in the series first," she told her, loading one of the DVD's into her laptop. "Cool?"

Bonni was still smiling at how sweet Marceline could be.

"Yeah, that's cool."

"Awesome."

Marceline scooted back on the bed and put an arm around Bonni's shoulders, gently pulling her close.  
Bonni let her head come to rest on the taller girl's chest, fine-tuning her position on the bed so that she could both see the laptop screen and be cuddled up closely to the girl beside her.  
Marceline pressed PLAY on the laptop and gave Bonni's shoulders an affectionate squeeze as the opening credits flashed up.  
Bonni smiled to herself.  
Maybe tonight wouldn't be so nerve-racking after all. 

* * *

Gumble sat motionless at his desk, staring uselessly at his homework in front of him.

_This is pointless, _he thought to himself. _Nothing is going in!_  
He wasn't paying attention to history or German or biology right now, he was thinking of Marshall.  
Marshall with his thick crop of black hair, intense eyes and handsome face. Marshall who could have a naughty smirk on his face one second and a benevolent smile the next. Marshall who had invited Gumble to the movies tonight, who had wanted to spend time with _him_. Marshall who he had let down.  
Gumble sighed and pushed back his chair from the desk.  
He headed downstairs to make a cup of tea and clear his mind, feeling like schoolwork was a futile endeavour at the moment.  
The house was big and quiet that night, with Bonni out at Marceline's and Perry working late in the office.  
Gumble walked into the kitchen, flicked on the kettle and sat at the table, thinking.

On one hand, he was angry.  
Could Marshall really not understand that he was apprehensive? Could he not tell that he was uneasy at the very thought of everyone finding out? He wasn't ready to be an "out and proud" gay man, the notion of it scared him.  
What would the other students at school say or do if they all knew? Would they think differently of him? What if they _all _started picking on him, not just Lich? And what if Marshall got sick of being targeted and decided that he didn't want to see Gumble anymore?  
Leaving Gumble all on his own to fight off the bullies.  
But on the other hand, he felt ashamed.  
Marshall obviously liked him and wanted people to know it.  
The thought of _that _flattered and thrilled Gumble, so much so that a broad smile broke out over his face there and then in the kitchen.  
Marshall was _happy _to let people know they were dating. So did that make Gumble a jerk for being the one wanting to keep it under wraps?

He got up from the table to make his cup of tea, stirring the sugar in pensively.  
Deep down, he knew Marshall would never abandon him if they both got bullied. He knew that if such a thing were to happen, the dark-haired boy would be there for him until the bitter end. After all, they weren't just two guys messing around; they were buds, confidantes, _friends_.

Gumble carried the cup of tea back up to his bedroom, mulling it all over inside his head.  
And as he sat down at the desk and sipped thoughtfully from the mug, he made his final decision on the matter.

* * *

Bonni didn't know exactly how they had started kissing but soon all focus from the movie was gone and the two young women were locked in a sweet embrace, tongues battling for dominance, and hands gently exploring the new terrain of each other's bodies.  
Marceline shifted back on the bed and lay down so that the other girl was partly on top of her, running both hands over the redhead's hips and softly up her back, the sensation making Bonni shiver slightly under Marceline's fingertips.  
The red-haired girl then moved her hands lightly from Marceline's cheeks, past her shoulders, down to her chest, both of them savouring the feeling when they glided slowly over her breasts.

Marceline pulled Bonni closer then, closing off the distance between them, holding her tight to her own body.  
She then let a hand move smoothly across Bonni's shapely buttocks, under her T-shirt and up to her bra strap, moving around to the front to cup-

"Wait!"

Bonni broke their kiss in surprise and looked down at the other girl.  
She couldn't believe it. _Marceline _had been the one to say 'wait?'

"What's wrong?" Bonni asked, and then worried. "Did I do something wrong?"

"It's not you," Marceline said softly. "_I'm_ just nervous."

In the far back of her mind, Bonni wondered if the shock she felt was clear on her face.

"Of what?"

Marceline let an embarrassed smile curl around her mouth and shrugged her shoulders.

"Of fucking up, of not doing something right, of disappointing you. The list goes on."

Bonni looked down at her in surprise for a moment, then saw the funny side of it all and let a small chuckle escape her mouth.

"You know, that's exactly what I'm afraid of too," she said, and Marceline laughed along with her this time.

Marceline smiled at her, more relaxed now, and then looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

"I've just been in a few shitty relationships in the past few years," the black-haired girl mused. "People used me or took advantage of me or-" she shrugged her shoulders, "yeah, you get the picture. So in the end, I just focused on getting my own and vaguely hoping they got their own too. But I don't want to be that way with you."

She looked up seriously at Bonni.  
"I want to make you feel good," she told the redhead.

Bonni smiled.

"And I want to make _you _feel good," she replied. "I've just never been with a girl and don't know how."

Marceline gave her what could only be described as a mischievous grin.

"I can help you with that," she said and Bonni playfully slapped her arm, making them both giggle.

"Seriously though," Marceline said. "I really like you Bonni, I don't want to mess things up. So let's wait a while dude, concentrate on getting to know each other first, then get into the physical stuff later."

"Sounds good to me," Bonni said, more relieved than she could express.

Marceline looked happy at that and moved over on the bed.

"Good," she said. "Now come give me a hug."

* * *

Marshall had borrowed his dad's car and dropped Bongo, Keila and Guy to their individual houses after the movie, before driving home to the Abadeer house.  
He heaved a sigh, looking out drearily at the road ahead, thinking about Gumble.  
_Man, I'm such an ass, _he thought miserably to himself.  
The poor guy hadn't properly come to terms with his sexuality yet so what did Marshall do? Try to rush him.  
He shook his head, chastising his own stupidity.  
_Tomorrow_, he decided there and then, _I'm going to find him and tell him that he can take as long as he wants, YEARS even, and I'll wait. If the whole thing has to be a massive secret, then so be it. I want to be with him, whether it's under wraps or not!  
_He cheered up a bit then, kicking the car into a higher gear and speeding home decisively.

After changing into their pyjamas, Bonni slept comfortably through the night in Marceline's arms.  
Being spooned by her made the red-haired girl feel warm and safe, causing her to fall into a deep and restful sleep almost straightaway.

Marceline rested her chin on Bonni's head, listening to her breathing, being soothed by her presence and the gentle weight of her body.  
But she also felt a fear creeping up on her, scared and insecure, terrified of what could happen next.  
Because Marceline could feel herself falling for this girl, going past the "I-kinda-like-you" mark and into something more meaningful and _far _more dangerous.  
She held Bonni a little closer and shut her eyes, hoping beyond hope that if she _did _fall, this beautiful redhead would be there to catch her. 

* * *

Marshall waited agitatedly for Gumble by his locker the next morning, tapping his hand rhythmically against his belt in anxiety.  
When Gumble eventually did round the corner of the hallway, Marshall felt his chest churn in relief, hurrying over to him.

"Gumble, dude," he said, calmed slightly by his arrival. "About yesterday-"

"Marshall, wait," Gumble said. "I've thought about it and-"

Marshall winced, heart sinking fast. Here it was, the inevitable. Gumble was going to tell him they needed some "time apart" or frankly let him know that he didn't want to date an impatient asshole.

"-you're right," Gumble went on and Marshall's eyes went wide in shock. "You shouldn't have to wait forever for me to decide what I want."

"But I-" Marshall went to interrupt but Gumble held up a hand, silencing him.

"I like you and while it might take me some time to be comfortable with the way _we_ are," Gumble smiled purposefully at him. "I'm comfortable with the _we _are. And I don't care what anybody has to say about that."

"Gumble, that's great," Marshall said, feeling worse than ever for having been such a jerk to this sweet, courageous guy. "But you shouldn't have to do anything you're not 100% ready for. If you want to keep us quiet, then I'm totally cool with that. I just want to be with you dude, that's all I want."

Gumble smiled.

"That's all I want too," he said and, before Marshall could stop him, he leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the mouth. "And I don't really _give _a fuck who knows it."

Marshall was speechless. He could only manage to beam gratefully back at the red-haired boy in front of him. 

* * *

Lich stared down the hallway at them, squeezing his pen so tight in his right hand that he nearly broke it.  
Those two freaks were kissing in _school _now?  
This had gone too far for his liking.  
It was time to let them know what they were doing was _not _OK.


	15. Chapter 15

The week went by happily enough.  
Marceline and Bonni spent time together nearly every day after school, going for walks or playing video games at the Abadeer house, enjoying each other's company and getting to know each other better instead of focusing solely on physical things.  
Marshall and Gumble had reached a compromise – they would keep their relationship hush-hush at school but outside of campus, they held hands, kissed and brought each other in for intimate hugs as much as they both liked.  
It was that Friday night, during a video game marathon at BMO's (when Marshall showed up with Gumble) that everyone in the gang became aware that the two were dating.  
Bonni was right – they all reacted to it with the same positive attitude they'd shown her and Marceline.

However, when the twins got home from BMO's, they found a horrific sight.  
Their father wanted to talk to them.

"Guten abend guys," he said with a smile, entering the hall as soon as they got in.  
Gumble guessed he'd been waiting in the kitchen for them.

"Eh...good evening Papa," Bonni greeted him back.

"How was your night?" Perry asked and the twins exchanged concerned glances.

"Good," Gumble said.

"It was fun," Bonni chimed in.

"Good, I'm glad," Perry said, still maintaining the smile that was almost too big for his face. "Why don't you come into the kitchen and we'll all have a nice cup of tea before bed? I want to talk to you both about something."

As Perry turned on heel and marched purposefully into the kitchen, Bonni and Gumble looked at each other nervously. They then followed their father and sat timidly at the kitchen table, both feeling like they weren't in their own house, but rather in a strange place where they were about to be interrogated.  
Bonni found herself feeling even _more_ uneasy when she saw that Perry had already neatly set out three cups, sugar, milk and a packet of biscuits on the table.  
Obviously, he'd been planning this talk all night.

"Don't look so scared," Perry laughed, bringing the boiled kettle over to the table and beginning to pour their tea. "I just want to talk to you about something is all."

He sat down then, took the teabag out of his own cup and stirred, adding milk.

"Now," he said, plucking a biscuit from the packet. "It's come to my attention recently that both my children seem to think I'm stupid as hell."

Bonni and Gumble swapped shocked looks with one another but Perry just laughed again.

"Keine Sorgen, you're not in trouble," he said, relaxing them both. "I think you should give me a little bit of credit though. Do you think I'm so dense I don't know _dating _when I see it? You two could have at least told me!"

Bonni and Gumble were more shocked and confused than before.  
Their father _knew_? He knew this whole time?

As terrified as Gumble was in that moment, he also felt a strange kind of relief.  
If Perry knew they were both in gay relationships and they _weren't _in any trouble for it, that must mean that their father was fine with it all, and that could only be a good thing!

However, Bonni knew something about the situation wasn't quite right.  
She couldn't quite put her finger on it but there was definitely something off about the atmosphere at the table.

"I'm not telling you to inform me of every little detail going on in your lives," Perry was saying. "You're both entitled to your privacy and I respect that. But if you're actually _going out _with people, I'd like to know about it. You know," he shrugged, "to join in on your excitement. Maybe offer some advice if you need it. I may be in the process of divorcing but I still know a thing or two about relationships!"

Gumble nodded, taking it all in, feeling the relief inside him grow and grow with every encouraging word his father spoke.

"And anyway, those two seem like perfectly nice people," Perry said, smiling again. "A bit _scary_-looking but I suppose the rocker look never really went out of style. I have no problem with you seeing them, and I really wish you would have told me about it."

"You're right Papa," Bonni said, still secretly suspicious of the situation. "We should have. We're sorry."

"Yeah, we just didn't know what you'd _think_," Gumble added. "You know, we weren't sure if you, you _know_."

Perry smiled warmly at his son.

"Sure, I thought they looked a bit rough at first," he said. "But I have no problem with them."

He chuckled light-heartedly at the thought, but then gave his son a type of confused smile.

"Although I must say Gumble," Perry went on. "I never thought _you'd _go for a girl like _that_!"

Bonni's eyes widened in realization, while Gumble's heart sank in the very same thing.  
No wonder things seemed off.  
Their father wasn't sitting them down to tell them that he was fine with their sexual orientations, he was sitting them down to tell them he was fine with Bonni having a boyfriend she didn't have, and Gumble having a girlfriend he didn't have.

"It's funny in general though, isn't it?" Perry mused, seemingly more to himself than to his offspring. "Twins dating twins. What are the chances?"

Bonni nearly told him. She nearly opened her mouth and explained the whole thing.  
But then Gumble stomped on her foot under the table. Hard.

"Yep, pretty coincidental alright!" he said to their father, forcing a chuckle. "And Bonni's right, we should have told you. But you're OK with us dating them?"

"Of course," Perry said with a shrug. "Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, it's the oldest story there is! How could I not be OK with that?"

Gumble inwardly cringed at his father's choice of words.

"Dummkopf!" Bonni scolded her brother when they were upstairs and out of earshot. "Why did you let him believe it's the other way around? Das ist dumm!"

"Ruhig sein," Gumble growled at her, and then hurried her into his bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind them.

"This is perfect!" he said as soon as the door clicked closed. "Now Papa knows we're dating people but we don't have to come out to him yet!"

"But why couldn't we have?" Bonni sighed, slapping an agitated hand to her own face. "It was the perfect opportunity down there in the kitchen Gumble! Over tea and biscuits, civilly, _together_. Can you think of a more perfect scenario to tell a parent you're not straight?"

"When I'm ready," Gumble answered immediately, and Bonni looked at him sympathetically.

"Gumble, it's _Papa_," she reminded him. "He'll love us no matter what!"

"Mmm, probably," Gumble agreed, albeit reluctantly. "I'm sure he'll still _love _us, but he might be disappointed or feel upset by it. I mean, he seems pretty happy thinking I have a girlfriend and you have a boyfriend. Why wreck it for no good reason?"

His sister sighed again, unconvinced.

"I don't know bro..."

"Bonni, please," Gumble said. "I'm _barely _alright with this as it is. Give me a little longer?"

The other twin considered this for a moment, then smiled, nodded.

"Oh, what the heck?" she said. "We've already gotten this far..."

Gumble beamed at her and then crossed the room to give her a grateful hug.

"Thanks Bon." 

* * *

The weekend came and went.  
Saturday was another cold but bright sunburst. Bonni spent the afternoon out cruising in the car with Marceline, talking and laughing together, and then going to see the new _Heat Signature _movie that night.  
To keep up the illusion of Gumble dating Marceline, Gumble also got in the car with them to be dropped off back at the Abadeer house and spend the day hanging out with Marshall.  
They played video games, made out, watched a movie, made out, split the price of a large pizza to be delivered to them, and made out some more before falling asleep on the couch together, watching a movie.  
When Marceline came in, she kicked Marshall awake and told him Bonni was outside in the car waiting and she could drop both Boehm twins home together.  
So Bonni and Gumble were dropped home by Marceline around midnight.

Sunday was spent with the gang, everyone hanging out together at the park drinking hot chocolates on yet another sunny but chilly day.  
It was then that Gumble heard something interesting from Fionna when he happened to walk to the corner shop with her to buy some snacks.

"You know, I'm really happy for you and Marshall," she said. "You guys make a really cute couple."

Gumble smiled warmly at her.

"Thanks Fionna," he said amicably. "That means a lot."

Fionna smiled, then paused, opened her mouth, closed it again and, finally, loudly cleared her throat.

"Can I tell you something?" she asked him in an uncharacteristically shy voice.

"Sure," Gumble smiled at her. "What's up?"

"Well, when you first moved here-"

Gumble narrowed his eyes at the embarrassed expression on her face, perplexed as to where this was going.

"Yeah?" he said.

"Well, I kind of had a crush on you," Fionna said sheepishly, and Gumble couldn't help but smile.

"Really?" he asked, genuinely pleased. "Wow. That's pretty flattering!"

"It is?" Fionna looked at him, wide-eyed.

"Well, coming from you," Gumble shrugged. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Fionna smiled at him gratefully, blushing slightly.

"Thanks dude," she said humbly. "Anyway, what I was _going_ to say was that, even though I had a crush on you, seeing you with Marshall actually made me really happy. You guys just go so _well _together, y'know? It's awesome. Just thought you'd like to know."

Gumble felt moved.

"That's really nice of you to tell me Fionna, thank you," he said to her. "Oh and for the record-"

Gumble took in her sweet smile, her flowing blonde hair, the curves of her body and decided that what he was about to say was indeed very true.

"If I was straight," he told her resolutely. "I definitely would."

Fionna cocked an eyebrow at him, but was still smiling.  
Then the two friends burst out laughing.

It was a good weekend overall, one enjoyed by all.  
But lunch on Monday was not nearly as pleasant, and it all started with Lich storming over to the group's lunch table.


	16. Chapter 16

_**WARNING: **__**There's violence in this chapter, in the form of people getting punched, shoved, hit and kicked. It's not terribly bad or very graphic but it still happens in this chapter and I'm just saying it in advance in case anyone would be upset or bothered by fighting, hostility or aggression.  
Just to let you know! ;)**_

The clock behind Mr King's desk ticked loudly in the small room, which felt very crowded to all in it.  
Marceline sat with an ice bag pressed to the side of her head, Marshall beside her with one hand resting comfortingly on his sister's shoulder and the other one firmly clasping Gumble's hand beside him.  
Gumble squeezed back Marshall's hand gratefully, feeling the nerves in his stomach rise and fall by the thought of Perry Boehm being on his way.  
He found his thoughts wandering to Bonni and hoped she was OK.  
On the other side of the room, Lich sat with three of his friends, grinding his teeth and staring hard at the wall, pressing his own ice bag firmly to his rapidly swelling eye. If an outsider had stumbled by the situation, they might have thought he looked angry and impatient. But in truth, he was humiliated and defeated.  
Beside Lich sat three of his friends, each one looking as dopey and shamefaced as the other.  
The door to the principal's office swung open and Mr King marched in, looking more stressed and annoyed than anyone in the office had ever seen the principal look.  
"Alright," he announced to the room at large. "This is what's going to happen-" 

* * *

Bonni didn't see any of it. She had a dental appointment and left school after morning break, picked up and driven to the dentist by her father who had taken the day off work to do so (as well as catch up on some paperwork by working at home).  
This made him readily available to be called into the school after what transpired between his son and several others.

Like all dramatic incidents, it started innocently enough. 

* * *

"What's everyone's favourite type of jam?" Finn asked the table, pulling apart his sandwich and peering inside.

"Raspberry."

"Strawberry."

"Apricot."

"Uh, either blackberry or strawberry."

"Tomato."

Finn looked quizzically at Carla.

"Tomato is not a jam flavour!" he told her.

"Yeah it is, tomato chutney," Carla replied. "It's good on sandwiches!"

"Yeah, but that's a chutney, not a jam," Jake chimed in.

"Yeah," Finn agreed.

Carla looked from one boy to the other and shrugged.

"Explain the difference to me," she said.

And they might have, if Lich hadn't stamped over to the table and slammed his hands down in front of Gumble, narrowly missing his lunch.  
Gumble looked up at him, the whole gang did.

"What?" the redhead asked, wishing the fear he felt wouldn't show in his voice so much.

"I'm so fucking sick of you," Lich told him plainly. "I see you all the time and I'm sick of you."

"We go to the same school Lich, of course you keep seeing him," Logan shot. "And if you're so sick of him, get the fuck out of here!"

"You heard him," Fionna added, giving Lich a hard look.

Lich shot the rest of the table a disdainful glance and then returned his hard-hearted attention to Gumble.

"Your friends like their new gay pet, huh Gumble?" he said. "Look at them all, standing up to me for you. Ain't that sweet? I wonder if they'll still be there for you when I'm punching your lights out."

A short, shocked silence followed these words.

"Don't you touch him," Carla said suddenly, in a low snarling voice. "You hear me Lich? Don't you dare fucking touch him."

"Or what?" Lich asked her angrily. "You'll beat me up? I'd like to see you fucking try! All of you will run like fucking cowards when I start on this guy, you'll all run fucking scared."

"Why do you want to start on me?" Gumble asked, his voice actually coming out a lot calmer than he felt. "Seriously Robert, what did I _do_ to you?"

Lich brought his face close to Gumble's, his eyes cold and unfeeling.

"You're a filthy faggot," he told him. "And you're a-"

But whatever else he was, Gumble didn't find out.  
Marceline had suddenly appeared and grabbed Lich's arm, spinning him around to face her.

"You're a real piece of shit," she told him, an expression on her face more disgusted than Gumble had ever seen before. "Seriously Lich, you are a real fucking mess."

Lich gave her a long, evil stare, then turned back to Gumble.

"Your sister's little friend is here," he said. "You know, I never thought it could be possible. Two gays in one family."

That was when it happened. Lich's words pressed a button somewhere just under Gumble's chest, igniting a powerful rage that flared up inside him.  
He gritted his teeth, subtly clenched his fists, willed Lich to _fuck off._  
But the hefty-sized bully was leaning in close to Gumble again.

"I'm right, aren't I?" he said slowly. "Your sister's as sick as you are. She's a filthy dyke, and I-"

It felt like a strange nightmare.  
One moment Lich was smirking cruelly into Gumble's face, his pitiless eyes drilling into him. The next moment, Gumble's fist sailed through the air and collided with one of those eyes. And the moment after that, Lich had fallen to the ground with a loud yelp of agony, clutching his face in pain.

Gumble barely had time to react when he felt two rough hands grab him forcibly under the arms and yank him out of his seat.

"Come here faggot!" spat a voice in his ear.

But Marceline was quick. She leapt across Lich and shoved Gumble's captor hard, sending him sprawling towards the table on top of Fionna, who was quick to push him off and punch him hard in the ribs for good measure.

Lich jumped to his feet and launched himself at Marceline, whacking her hard in the side of the head as they both tumbled to the floor together.  
But the adrenaline was coursing through Gumble now and he moved quickly forwards, giving Lich a hard kick in his side to get him off of the dark-haired girl.  
Two more of Lich's friends came running forward, heading straight for Gumble, but Marceline grabbed one of their legs and he went crashing to the floor on top of Lich, pinning the bigger bully to the ground.  
The other crony was stopped by none other than Marshall Abadeer, who arrived on the scene just in time to grab the last tormentor by the side of the head and dunk him powerfully into the nearby bin.

Those involved barely noticed but every pair of eyes in the school canteen had latched onto the violent scuffle, with students climbing over tables and chairs to get a good look at the chaos.  
Shouts echoed and reverberated off the canteen walls and a crowd swelled all around the gang's lunch table, eager to see another punch or a kick be thrown.  
The bustling audience was what made it so difficult for Mr King, Mr Eberhardt and Mr Blastro the gym teacher to make their way to the fight.  
But Mr Blastro arrived just in time to grab Lich by the back of the shirt as he yet again tried to shoot himself straight at Gumble. However, it took the combined effort of Mr Blastro _and _Mr Eberhardt to restrain the furious Lich, while Mr King stood on a nearby chair and let out a furious bellow.

"Every last person in this canteen, get to your next class now!" he demanded, his voice unbelievably loud and incredibly irate. "Right _now_! No hanging around or you will get detention! Move!"

From his high perch on the chair, he cast an angry gaze around at Lich, Marshall, Marceline, Gumble and Lich's three friends.

"My office," he growled at them. "_Go_!" 

* * *

Now, standing in front of them again, looking tired and annoyed but decidedly more calm, Mr King alerted them all to what was happening.

"I've talked to a lot of people who saw the fight," he said. "And I've come to a conclusion on whose fault it was. Marshall, Marceline and Gumble?"

The three looked up.

"You're free to go," he told them. "I've decided to let you go home for the rest of the day. None of you are in a fit state to go to class, particularly _you_ Ms Abadeer."

Marceline, still clutching the ice bag to where Lich had hit her, gave him a weak smile and Marshall patted her on the back.

"So I told your parents to come pick you up," Mr King went on. "If you wait at the main office, they'll be here shortly. Go home and rest and I'll see the three of you back here tomorrow."

The three friends got up and left the office, saying quick "thank yous" to Mr King as they went by him.  
After they left, Mr King closed the door behind them, and began talking in a much less friendly voice to Lich and his cronies.

Marshall, Marceline and Gumble made their way down the corridors to the main office in silence, all of them still in shock from the fight.  
Class was in session and so the hallways were soundless, apart from a far-away shutting door or a distant cough.

"Well this beats the usual boring Monday routine," Marceline said at last and the other two chuckled, needing a laugh.

"How's your head?" Gumble asked her.

Marceline shrugged.

"It'll be fine," she reported. "I'll take a painkiller and a nap when I get home."

Gumble nodded and they walked in silence again, Marshall yet again firmly taking the red-haired boy's hand in his own.  
The gesture made Gumble look up at him and smile.

"Thank you," he said, and then looked to include Marceline. "Both of you. You really, really didn't have to do that. Thank you so much."

"Pfft, don't even mention it dude, we're your friends," Marceline smiled at him.

Gumble beamed happily to himself and then felt Marshall give his hand a squeeze. He looked over at the dark-haired boy who gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered "anything for you Gumball" into his ear.  
The redhead laughed at the use of the nickname.

"By the way," Marceline said, turning back again to look at Gumble. "That black eye you gave Lich? If no one's said it to you yet, good job!"

Marshall let out a cackle of laughter.

"Oh man, that was nasty!" he said to Gumble. "Great shot, well done!"

Although he was not a big advocate of violence _at all_, Gumble couldn't help but take the compliment and smile.

When they reached the main office however, Gumble saw he had an entirely new challenge on his hands.  
Perry was already sitting there, looking dazed and worried, and looked up when he heard their footsteps, his eyes first locking onto his son's face and then onto his hand which was being held by Marshall.  
Gumble looked back at him, unsure of what to say or do. 

* * *

"Are you alright?" Perry asked quietly, after a short silence.  
His voice sounded like he had been very, very frightened.

"Ja," Gumble told him. "I'm alright Papa, don't worry."

Perry nodded, then turned his gaze to Marshall.

"And you?" he asked. "Are you OK?"

Marshall gave him what he hoped was a friendly look.

"Yes Mr Boehm," he said. "Thank you for asking."

Perry nodded again and turned to Marceline.

"And you? You must have gotten hit in the head by that Lich boy, did you?"

"Pretty hard," Marceline said. "But I'm OK, it hurts a lot less now than it did an hour ago."

"Good," Perry nodded and stood up, still seemingly in a daze. "Do you two need a lift home?"

"No," the Abadeer twins said in unison.

"Our dad will be here soon," Marceline added. "But thank you Mr Boehm."

"Yeah, thanks," Marshall chimed in.

Perry nodded again. He was beginning to remind Gumble of one of those nodding dogs you sometimes saw in cars. The comparison would have been funny if his father didn't look so sad and scared.

"Alright Gumble," he said quietly. "Let's go."

Gumble turned to Marshall who smiled at him in such a sweet way that Gumble couldn't help but pull him in for a hug.

"I'll text you later," Marshall muttered in his ear. "Good luck with your dad!"

"Thanks," Gumble whispered back. "Thanks for everything."

He broke apart from Marshall and saw Perry looking at him sheepishly. He smiled to show him it was OK and turned to the other Abadeer twin.

"Bye Marceline," he said, and the black-haired girl smiled and held up a hand in return.

"See you tomorrow Gumble." 

* * *

Gumble hated the ostensibly unnatural silence as he and Perry left the school together, heading down the front steps and crossing the lawn to where his father had parked his Nissan.  
They only spoke when the two Boehm men got in and put on their seatbelts, but Perry didn't start the car.

"Why didn't you tell me I'd got it wrong?" he asked, and Gumble winced at the hurt in his father's voice. "Why didn't you just tell me that _you _were seeing Marcel?"

"Marshall," Gumble corrected.

"Marshall, right," Perry stared out the window for a moment, then sighed. "Why didn't you just _tell _me Gumble?"

Gumble looked at his father but found the pain in his eyes too difficult to bear, so he looked down at his hands instead.

"I didn't want you to be disappointed in me," he said, his voice seeming very loud in the quiet car. "I didn't know how you'd react to me being gay. And you seemed so _happy _to think that I was going out with a girl that I-"

"I wasn't happy that you were dating a _girl_!" Perry said, his voice angrier than Gumble knew he meant it to sound. "I was happy that _you_ were happy, full stop. I only _assumed_ it was the girl, that's all. You and your sister are great people and you've had such a _rough_ time what with the bullying back in Ooo and all this shit with your mother and," he sighed deeply. "All I _ever_ want is you and Bonni to be happy Gumble, OK? That's it, that's all I ask for. I love you so much."

Gumble nodded, swallowing back moved tears brought on by the emotion of the day.

"I love you too Papa," he said. "You're the best dad anybody could ever ask for. Really. I mean it."

Gumble was relieved to see Perry smiling at him.

"Danke Gumble," he said happily. "Thank you for saying that. Now," he put the car into gear, "let's go home, alright? Your sister is worried sick about you."

As they pulled away from the school, Perry braved himself to ask a question.

"So _Marceline _is who Bonni is dating?" he asked.

"Yes," Gumble confirmed, smiling slightly.

"And Marshall is _your _boyfriend?"

Gumble frowned, thought about it.

"Well, we're seeing each other, I don't know if he's quite my _boyfriend_ yet."

Perry gave his son a sharp sideways glance.

"Gumble, after all _this_ shit, he'd better be!"

And the two Boehm men burst out laughing together. 

* * *

As soon as the front door opened, Bonni launched herself at Gumble and hugged him tight.

"Oh mein Gott, ist mit Ihnen alles in Ordnung? Was ist passiert? Ist alles in Ordnung?" she babbled, still clutching him firmly.

"Bonni, relax, everything is fine," Gumble couldn't help but laugh as he prised his sister off of him.

Then he got a sharp slap on the arm.

"Ow! Bonni, what-"

"Relax? _Relax?_" Bonni cried. "Das ist verrückt! I've been sitting here alone at home for an _hour, _texting everyone I know trying to find out what happened! And everybody tells me that Lich tried to beat the _crap _out of you and Marshall and Marceline! And you're telling me to fucking _relax_?"

"Let's _all_ relax," Perry intervened, before Bonni could hit her brother again. "There's some mint ice-cream in the fridge. I'll fix us some bowls and we can all calm down together."

Bonni growled to herself and Gumble smiled, never ceasing to be amazed at how much his sister cared about him.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Author's Note: This chapter is just some Bubbline fluff. :3  
**__**The next section will be VERY NSFW so please take extra note of the M rating of this story once Chapter 18 goes up.**_

Marceline pulled her hoodie tighter around her head, a shiver running through her from the cold.  
Her knuckles brushed by where Lich had hit her and she winced as a tiny blob of pain pulsated there.  
She turned down the last suburban corner quickly, walking fast in the cold weather, and found herself at the Boehm house.

_Yo bo, B-Bo cheeks! I'm outside._

Mere minutes after the text sent, the front door creaked open and Bonni moved quickly down the driveway to her.

"Marceline!"

The two girls hugged, the taller one relishing in the comfort and affection she needed so badly. Bonni held her tightly, so indescribably glad that she was alright.

"Why didn't you text me earlier you butt?" Bonni asked as they broke apart. "I was worried about you!"

"I went straight to bed when I got home, took a nap," the dark-haired girl told her. "My head was _killing_ me man. I'm sorry though, I didn't mean to make you anxious."

Bonni sighed, then reached out to hug Marceline again, who happily accepted her back into her arms.

"Just as long as you're OK," she said into the taller girl's shoulder. "Today sounds like it was fucking awful."

Marceline considered it.

"I've had better Mondays," she said eventually and Bonni laughed.

"You're such an idiot," the redhead teased and Marceline kissed her head.

"I'll be _your_ idiot if you let me," she said.

"What? Are you not _already_ my idiot?"

"I can be your idiot _girlfriend_," Marceline hinted heavily, and Bonni pulled back from her.

She leaned in again then, kissed her on the mouth.

"I already consider you my girlfriend," the red-haired girl said gently.

"Wow, what a stalker," Marceline commented sarcastically and Bonni swatted her away with a playful "shut up you butt!"

When the teasing was done, their hands found each other again, and then their mouths did.

After a long kiss, Bonni pulled back from her.

"Thank you for what you did today," she said. "I really appreciate you looking out for Gumble like that."

Marceline smiled.

"Anytime dude," she said. "Plus, you should have seen the hit he landed on Lich! It was _epic _Bonni!"

Bonni grinned at the thought of her brother teaching Robert Lich a lesson, but then her expression turned sombre again.

"I just wish I'd been there," she said, staring off into space. "If I had, I wouldn't have let Lich get _near_ him, I would have-"

Marceline put her thumb under Bonni's chin and gently pointed the redhead's face up to look at her.

"If you had been there princess," she told her. "I would have been suspended for breaking Lich's arms for trying to _touch _you. Consider yourself a martyr for having a dental appointment this morning and keeping _me_ in the education system."

Bonni laughed and delivered another kiss to Marceline's lips.

"You're so sweet," she said. "Listen, do you want to sleep over tonight? It's after midnight you know."

Marceline looked towards the house.

"Better not, I told Dad I was just going for some fresh air to clear my head," she told her.

"You sure?"

Marceline nodded and tilted her head forwards to kiss Bonni's forehead.

"Yeah but tell you what. Marshall has plans to take Gumble somewhere tomorrow night and Dad is leaving tomorrow morning for a golf competition, he won't be back until Sunday evening. So we'll-"

"Have the house to ourselves again?" Bonni finished for her, and stroked some raven hair that had tumbled from the taller girl's hoodie. "I like that idea."

Marceline grinned.

"So do I," she said. "So I'll see you tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, tomorrow night." 

* * *

Bonni watched the bassist as she walked down the road and out of sight, musing on a certain thought...

If she'd wanted Marceline before, she _craved _her now.


	18. Chapter 18 (NSFW, 18's)

_**Author's Note: This chapter is NSFW. Kinky, sexy stuff of a **__**mature**__** content takes place within this chapter and I cannot stress enough that it is rated M, 18+, might not be appropriate for everyone and all that jazz!**_

Marshall drove their father's car this time, swinging by the Boehm house to pick up both twins and dropping Bonni off back to his home, before driving on with Gumble to the park.

Clambering their way through tall trees and groves, the two young men yet again made their way through the secluded areas of the park and into the covert enclosure they both loved so much.  
Marshall yet again took a picnic blanket and two sodas out of his bag, and they both sat down, resting their backs against one of the gnarled trees that helped form the coppice.

"It really is so peaceful here," Gumble said, his voice serene and quiet. "It's a good place to think."

"It really is," Marshall agreed, and then paused, smiled at Gumble. "What are _you _thinking about right now dude?"

Gumble smiled back at him.

"You," he said, taking the taller boy's hand. "And how glad I am that you're here."

Marshall rolled his eyes.

"Pfft, that's gay!" he shouted out, and Gumble elbowed him in the ribs.

"Shut up!" the redhead laughed at him as Marshall gave him a playful shove.

Marshall flicked his hair out of his eyes as he laughed along with him. Gumble shook his head, still smiling, and enjoying the mischievous company of the guy sitting next to him.  
Marshall watched him, noticing how attractive the redhead looked when he smiled.

"Nah, seriously though," Marshall said quietly, his voice gathering sincerity. "I'm glad I'm here with you too."

He reached to retake Gumble's hand, and gave it a demonstrative squeeze.

"I'm glad you're in my life in general actually," he went on. "You make me happy Gumble."

Gumble was sure his cheeks must have been absolutely _glowing _at the dark-haired boy's confession.

"Gee, thanks Marshall," he said, visibly touched. "I feel the same way about you."

Marshall smiled, but then his expression fell slightly and he suddenly looked nervous.

"So, uh," he said shakily. "Will you be my – I don't know – maybe my boyfriend?"

Gumble held back how moved he was at the invitation for a moment, instead choosing to cock an eyebrow and smirk at Marshall.

"Ask me _properly _Marshall," he teased.

The dark-haired boy grunted in frustration and ran a hand through his hair distractedly, looking around the enclosed space as if searching for courage.

"Come on," Gumble urged, more gently this time. "You _know _I'll say yes idiot!"

Marshall smiled at him then, relaxing instantly.

"Gumble, will you be my boyfriend?"

Gumble beamed at him, holding back no emotion now, as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Absolutely. Wild Lichs couldn't keep me away."

They both laughed into the kiss.

* * *

Marceline and Bonni had been sitting on the bed, playing video games together, when Bonni had started to win.  
Seeing no other option, the dark-haired girl had tickled her, playfully shoved her, made distracting noises and orchestrated about five or six other off-putting acts before eventually tackling Bonni down onto the sheets and kissing her hard.

"You're such a sore loser!" the redhead cried indignantly when Marceline broke their kiss, but she was laughing up at her girlfriend.

Marceline shrugged, smirking slightly.

"Can't let you beat my high score princess," she said simply, and Bonni rolled her eyes as she pulled her down to kiss again.

They kissed for a long time after that, at first playfully and with an air of tomfoolery, but then Marceline reached to switch off the TV and games console beside her bed and settle down properly on the sheets with Bonni. It was then that their kisses turned deeper and more sybaritic, both of them urging themselves to kiss harder and sweeter and get as close as possible to the person next to them.

Bonni's mind was calmly exploring the idea of discovering more of Marceline than just her mouth. Despite the nervousness that still lingered from before, a part of her ached to see the sights of her girlfriend's beautiful body, to touch and kiss every inch of her, to find her sweet spots and make her feel good.  
The redhead could feel a stirring below her belt just thinking about it.  
But she told herself not to let her hands wander under Marceline's clothes, scolded herself at the thought of letting it go farther than the dark-haired girl would be fully comfortable with.  
_Concentrate on getting to know each other first, _that's what Marceline had said.  
And Bonni was happy with that, she _agreed _with that, she was perfectly content to wait as long as it took.  
But right now, it felt so _hard _to have to wait.

But she needn't have worried.  
It was Marceline who slid a hand gently up her T-shirt, elating in the soft skin there, and smoothly slid under the bra to cup a breast.

"Is this OK?" she asked Bonni, her voice a gentle whisper, and the redhead nodded readily.

"I'll tell you if you go too far," she whispered back to Marceline. "And you tell _me_ if I do."

"Gotcha," Marceline replied, beginning to softly squeeze the sweet mound of her girlfriend's breast. "The safety word is 'vampire'."

They both smirked into the next kiss.

* * *

Deep in conversation about a band they both liked, Gumble greatly resented that his jeans had chosen that _exact moment _to ride up.  
He shifted around uncomfortably on the ground, trying in vain to fix the problem, until Marshall raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Uh, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Hold on," Gumble grunted and hopped to his feet, undoing the belt buckle as he did so.

Marshall smirked when he saw the opportunity for a prank and, as Gumble tried to adjust his jeans, the dark-haired boy reached up and yanked them down in one fluid, casual motion.

Gumble gasped in shock.  
Marshall went to laugh but then stopped, realizing that he'd accidentally pulled down Gumble's _boxers_ with his jeans.

And he was now eye-level with a very stiff, very hard, impressively _large _issue. 

* * *

Before long, the two young women were naked on the bed, running hands up and down each other's smooth, soft bodies, tangling fingers in hair, hardly being able to bear their mouths being separated for a single moment.  
The kissing became agitated, the touching vehement, as if they were both working towards something they both desperately _needed_.

"Let me taste you," Marceline's words came in a breathy lament, making Bonni itch for what her girlfriend was offering.

"Oh. Bitte! _Do_," Bonni's own passion had reduced her voice to distressed breathing.

Marceline grinned, pressed her lips to Bonni's once more, and then began a long line of kisses, starting from her neck and tracking down her body. She stopped briefly to suck and bite at a nipple (extracting a sharp "oh ja!" from the red-haired young woman) before continuing to lick, suck and kiss her way down to the destination between her girlfriend's legs.

"Oh yeah," she breathed, and began to lap keenly at Bonni's swollen clit.  
Meanwhile, her girlfriend gripped her black hair and wondered if she would even _survive_ the pleasure. 

* * *

A tense silence hung in the air of the coppice, Gumble blushing deeply and entirely uncertain of what to do. Keeping his pants puddled around his ankles seemed like an incredibly _bad _idea, but pulling them up seemed somehow worse.  
After all, a part of him was very, very flattered by the way Marshall was staring at his...well, his _member._

"I didn't mean to pull down your boxers," Marshall said softly, breaking the hush at last.

"I thought not," Gumble replied, feeling stupid at his casual tone of voice in such a completely _not _casual situation.

He was about to pepper the conversation with a "what now?" when Marshall unexpectedly reached out, took him and (very gently) began to pull him forwards, leading him toward -

"What are you _doing_?" Gumble cried, as he stumbled forward, being led straight into -

The redhead inhaled gruffly, his helmet having just entered Marshall's waiting mouth.  
His face contorted and twisted as the dark-haired boy licked, slurped and sucked at him, finally pulling the shaft all the way in, right to the back of his neck and -

"Aaargh! Das ist gut, gehen Sie _bitte_!"

Marshall smirked around the muscle filling up his mouth, picking up speed and beginning to suck faster.

* * *

"Aaargh! Gut, sehr gut! Gehen Sie schneller! Schwerer!"

Marceline had no idea what Bonni was saying (she hadn't done her German homework in a while) but the tremors and twitches from her girlfriend's body told her to keep going, and to do it faster and harder.  
She licked as quickly and fully as she could. Then, as Bonni's hips bucked and body shook more and more, she lifted up her right hand and inserted two fingers gently into the warm, wet hole that cried out for attention.

"Oh, nicht zu stoppen!"

Concentrating a little harder now, Marceline tried to match the rhythm of her tongue with the rhythm of her two fingers, plunging quickly in and out.  
Bonni let out numerous cries and yelps before the big announcement came.

"Ich komme! _Urgh_! Marceline, I'm cumming!"

The black-haired girl bore down harder now, licking and pushing, licking and pulling, until, with one final shout and a shiver, Bonni rode her orgasm out in the black-haired young woman's mouth.

* * *

Gumble shut his eyes, long moans of ecstasy leaving his mouth in quick succession.  
He felt his toes curl in his shoes and the muscles in his legs stretch as the waves of pleasure crashed over him, granting him more gratification than he ever thought possible.  
If he really was Marshall's first kiss with a guy, he didn't know how the dark-haired young man was so _good _at what he was doing.  
But he was. _Riotously_ good.

He threw his head back and opened his eyes slightly, peering into the branches far above. The dark sky was what he saw when he began to cum.

"Mein Gott, _schlucken_ diese!"

His words were followed by a cum so fulfilling that he didn't know how he didn't keel over from his enjoyment of it there and then.  
Marshall nonchalantly gulped it back (something that made Gumble blush) and then pulled away, grinning mischievously at the redhead.

For a few moments, Gumble could only moan in leftover ecstasy.

"Yo, did you _instruct_ me to swallow?"

Gumble looked up quickly.

"Huh?"

Marshall smiled roguishly back at him.

"Just now," he said. "'Schlucken' means 'swallow' in German, right? Did you pretty much just _command_ me to drink your load?"

The dirty look on Marshall's face just made Gumble smile back at him, raising an eyebrow.

"If I did, is that a problem?" he asked. "Particularly if I _reciprocate_?"

The offer made Marshall's eyes light up and he immediately reached down and unzipped himself, letting a very erect muscle out into the fresh air.  
Gumble's eyes widened at the length and girth of it, while Marshall continued smirking at him.

"OK Gumble," he said slyly, and gestured casually to his dick. "_Schlucken _away!"

* * *

Although exhausted by her own orgasm, Bonni made it her mission to give Marceline an earth-shattering cunnilingus experience of her own. A task that she definitely succeeded in.  
By the time the two women began spooning each other and fell to dreams, they were both too worn out by pleasure and shattered by intimacy for much more than a sweet smile and a "goodnight."

Similarly, after finishing up their date in the woods and trekking back to the car, Marshall and Gumble were so tired after their own pleasure-seeking endeavours of the evening that they immediately went back to the Abadeer house and straight to bed.

Marshall liked the feeling of Gumble hugging him as they lay in bed together, feeling the redhead's arms protectively around his middle, all the while being able to give his own brand of affection tenderly back to him.  
He kissed the top of Gumble's head just as he tumbled to sleep, grateful for the presence of the young man beside him.

Everyone in Advent Tides seemed to sleep well that night.  
It must have been in the air.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Author's Note: Sorry this one is a bit later than the others! I'm quite busy at the moment but I'll try to post new chapters as often as possible. As always, thank you all SO much for your feedback, encouragement and support.  
****Happy reading! :D**_

Saturday morning was a happy one.  
Gumble, Marshall, Marceline and Bonni spent time together playing video games and watching TV, the two couples bonding and getting to know each other better.  
In the late afternoon, Bonni and Gumble left the Abadeer house together and walked part of the way home, Bonni deciding to spend some time at Lada's, and Gumble going over to BMO's where Logan and Finn were already waiting to all hang out together. 

* * *

Sunday was a pleasant day too.  
Perry Boehm took the twins to the movies and then out for pizza on the way home, all three members of the family talking and laughing together, enjoying each other's company.

* * *

But Monday morning held a particularly unique happiness for Bonni, Gumble and their friends.  
As soon as they walked into school that day, they were all alerted to the news that Robert Lich had been expelled indefinitely from school, his attack on Gumble being the very last straw in a string of previous troublemaking antics.  
His three cronies were also suspended for a couple of days and, even though they were back in school by that Thursday, they stayed away from Gumble and anyone affiliated with him.

So time passed happily for a while in the suburban territory of Advent Tides.  
November melted into December and a Christmas atmosphere adorned the town, everyone bringing out their best holiday spirits for the occasion at hand.  
A warehouse on the far side of Advent Tides opened up a large ice-skating rink for the month, building a hot chocolate bar and a rent-some-skates shop right next to it.  
Marshall and Gumble decided to try it out on the Friday that school ended for the holidays, driving to the warehouse together. 

* * *

"I'm surprised Bonni didn't come with us yo," Marshall commented, as they made their way through the car park. "Marceline mentioned wanting to check this place out."

Marshall just laughed.

"Mein Gott, Bonni can't ice-skate for shit! She'd never be caught dead in this place!"

But a surprise was waiting for Gumble when they walked through the doors and joined the queue to rent skates.  
Peering out onto the large rink, Marshall suddenly gasped and grabbed his boyfriend's arm.

"Gumble, dude, check it out!"

The red-haired young man turned around casually. His eyes went wide. His mouth opened in shock.  
And then he laughed for about ten minutes straight. 

* * *

"You're OK, you've got this!"

"Urgh! Jeez, why does it have to be so fucking _slippery_?"

Marceline couldn't help but snort with laughter as she gently let go of Bonni's hands.

"Because it's _ice _brainlord?"

Bonni ignored her, concentrating on trying to balance on the surface of the rink. She held out her arms and tried stepping smoothly forward but ended up slipping and falling forward.  
Marceline quickly reached forward and let Bonni tumble into her arms, laughing as she caught her.

"You alright?"

Bonni looked up at her, smiled slightly, and then immediately went to regain her stability on the ice.

"Yeah, thanks Marcy. Darn it though, this is just as difficult as I remember!"

"Well personally I think you've gotten _worse_ over time!"

Bonni turned around, narrowing her eyes at this rude interloper, and then groaned when she saw who it was.

"Urgh! _Gumble_? I didn't know you guys were coming today!"

"And miss you suck on ice?" Gumble teased, grinning. "Wouldn't dream of it Bonni!"

"Hey now dude," Marceline said to him. "Don't worry about insulting your sister's skating ability, I've totally got that one covered!"

Marceline and Gumble both laughed, just as Bonni slipped and nearly lost her balance again, recouping composure at the last second.  
Marshall smiled and rolled his eyes.

"You guys are so lame," he told his sister and boyfriend, skating forward to take the red-haired young woman's hand. "Come on Bonni, we'll do a couple laps together and I'll show you a few tricks of the trade."

"Thanks Marshall," Bonni replied as they glided off together.

Marceline turned to Gumble and shrugged.

"Guess that leaves us on our own for a second dude!"

Gumble barely heard her, he was watching Marshall guide his sister away, observing how kind and patient Marshall was being, admiring how _generous_ his boyfriend really was.  
And that was how he became sure. Totally sure of a certain truth he had suspected for so long. He was in _love_ with Marshall Abadeer.

"Dude?"

Gumble turned back around swiftly.

"Whuh? Oh yeah!" he smiled amicably at Marceline. "I guess it does!"

Marceline grinned back at him and put one foot in front of the other, pushing herself into a light glide. Gumble followed her lead. 

* * *

"Separate your feet a little more," Marshall instructed in a serene tone. "Put your arms out a little for balance if it helps."

Bonni tried to follow his advice, then nearly slipped again, grabbed his arm.

"Sorry!" she said quickly, as the dark-haired boy gently pulled her back up to her feet.

"That's OK," he said patiently. "Lean your weight _forwards_, not backwards."

Bonni did as directed and actually managed to slide forward on the ice, albeit a little shakily.  
Marshall nodded in approval.

"Now you've got it," he said appreciatively. "Good job dude!"

"Whew!" Bonni turned to face him, smiled gratefully. "Thanks Marshall."

"No prob," Marshall took her arm and led her around for a slow, steady lap of the rink. "Consider it a thank you."

Bonni looked at him, puzzled.

"A thank you? For what?"

Marshall shrugged.

"You've been a pretty good sister to Gumble all these years," he said nonchalantly. "And I doubt many people have actually gone ahead and _thanked _you for looking out for him and being there when he needed you. And I know a stupid beginner's ice-skating lesson isn't very much but it's a start at least."

Bonni smiled at him, realizing that _both _Abadeer twins had that trait of casual sweetness.  
As they rounded one of the rink's corners, Marshall gripped Bonni's sleeve more tightly and steered her to help keep her balance.

"That's really nice of you Marshall but I don't _need_ to be thanked," she said modestly. "It's my job!"

"Bullshit," Marshall replied at once. "Brothers and sisters usually fucking _hate _each other. It wasn't your job to do jack. But you did it anyway, and that's pretty cool."

Bonni considered this, then shrugged.

"It's easy," she said. "I love him."

At that moment, Marshall and Bonni both looked to where Gumble and Marceline were skating side by side over by the far wall of the rink, talking and laughing together.

"Yeah," the black-haired boy said, still watching them. "So do I."

Bonni looked up at him sharply, getting distracted and nearly losing her balance again in the process.

"Youl – _whaa_! _You_ love him too?"

Marshall gripped both of Bonni's sleeves and tugged her into a steady position, then smiled down at her as he pulled back.

"I do," he said, and Bonni could hear the authenticity in his voice. "A lot."

Bonni smiled at him, touched by his sentiment for her twin.

"You should tell him," she said softly, paused, and went on. "And _I_ should tell Marceline."

Marshall glanced at her, a peaceful look on his face.

"You love Marce too, huh?"

Bonni glanced over at where Marceline was, skimming almost effortlessly over the surface of the rink, and smiled warmly.

"I really do," she said sincerely, and Marshall grinned.

"Good," he said, nodding. "Because I know she loves you too. And really," he winked at Bonni, "we shouldn't be keeping so quiet about such things."

Bonni looked up at him and they both laughed together. 

* * *

"Hey Marceline, check it out!"

The raven-haired girl turned around just in time to see Gumble jump up swiftly, do a quick spin in mid-air and then land flawlessly again on the ice.

"_Whoa_, nice job dude!" she cried, and then laughed when Gumble struck a flashy 'ta-da' pose.

"Thank you very much!" he panted. "What's my final ranking judge?"

"Perfect ten," Marceline reported with a grin. "And a perfect _twenty _if you can do it again and include a backflip!"

"Fuck off," Gumble said playfully and they both laughed, pushing off for another lap around the rink together.

As they slid with ease around the rink, Marceline caught sight of their respective partners over by the other side and grinned.

"You know," Marceline began casually. "I've never seen Marsh happier than he is with you."

And when Gumble looked up at her, wide-eyed and blushing, Marceline added "no word of a lie."  
Gumble smiled, cheeks still red.

"Thanks for saying that," he said, humble voice barely above a mutter. "And for the record, Bonni seems to have been walking on air ever since _you_ two got together!"

Marceline smiled at him.

"Really?"

Gumble smiled back at her, gave her a resolute nod.

"No word of a lie."

Coming close to Marshall and Bonni now, they both gathered speed to catch up to them. 

* * *

"Yo!"

Marceline threw her arms around Bonni's waist and squeezed, catapulting them both a few metres forward on the ice.  
Bonni let out a yelp, then silenced herself, and then began laughing when she heard Marceline giggling in her ear.

"You alright princess?" the black-haired girl kissed her cheek and hugged her around the middle.

"Yup, just a minor heart attack, no surgery required!" Bonni grinned sarcastically, and Marceline kissed her cheek again.

"So what do _I_ have to do for an ice-skating lesson?" Gumble smirked, taking Marshall's hand.

Marshall grinned and winked at him.

"I'm sure I could think of _something _you could do for me!"

Gumble only rolled his eyes, grinning back. 

* * *

After skating around the ice for a while longer, both sets of twins grabbed a mug of cocoa each at the hot chocolate bar and then decided to head home.  
Marshall offered to give both Bonni and Marceline a lift back to the other side of town but they both opted to return the way they had come and take the bus.  
The four friends walked out together, talking and laughing, congratulating each other on being finished school for the holidays, and then bid each other waves and "see ya later"s as they went their separate ways.

There was a sharp chill in the air as they trekked out of the car park and towards the bus stop, the two young women holding hands.

"Did you have fun?" Marceline asked and Bonni beamed at her.

"You know, even with you _and _my brother making fun of me, I really did!"

Marceline just laughed.

"You know why I do that though, right dude?" Marceline pressed, and Bonni cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Because you're a mean lady?" she teased and her girlfriend shrugged.

"Yeah, probably," she said. "But mostly it's because I love you."

Bonni stopped walking and frowned quizzically up at Marceline.

"What'd you say?"

Marceline just smiled carelessly back at her.

"I said 'I love you.' I love you Bonni."

The red-haired girl felt a massive smile light up her face, and a glow somewhere in her chest.  
_Of course, _she thought to herself. _Of course Marceline would say 'I love you' for the first time in such a casual, laid-back way!  
_And that's how she knew for definite. Unquestionably. 100%.

"I love you too Marceline."

Their kiss was long and sweet. 

* * *

Marshall drove the car down the cold roads of Advent Tides, heedlessly tapping out a rhythm on the steering wheel.  
Gumble watched him, smiling in admiration.  
The black-haired young man glanced over and caught him staring, moved by the happy look on the other boy's face.  
And that's when he decided to say it to him, there and then, in his own special Abadeer brand of casual cavalier fashion.

"Hey Gumble."

"Yeah?" the red-haired boy was looking dreamily out the window.

"Did you know that I'm in love with you? I mean it, I really love you," his words were as honest and sincere as could be, but his tone was deliberately relaxed and offhanded.

Gumble smiled over at him, relishing in his boyfriend's carefree attitude.  
But also knowing that he meant those words, in all their honesty.

"Well, I suspected it," he said, equally as nonchalantly. "But now I know for sure, thanks."

Then he paused, threw a fleeting look out the window and stared back at Marshall.

"Oh, and on the subject? I love you too Marshall."

They both smiled for the rest of the ride home.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Author's Note: Hey everybody, happy Monday!  
Just wanted to warn you all that the next chapter is going to be NSFW. I don't intend anyone under 18 years of age to read it, and it's **__**definitely**__** not something you want to read with somebody looking over your shoulder. :P  
Also, narwhal asked me to put the meaning of the German Bonni, Gumble and Perry sometimes speak in parentheses so I will start doing so to make the Boehms a little more understandable! ;)  
Other than that, enjoy and thanks for all the support so far!**_

Christmas was enjoyable that year and before anyone knew it, it was New Year's Eve.

Of course, the main attraction of the night for Advent Tides' younger inhabitants was the fields, so large groups of students began trekking out there all throughout the day of December 31st.  
By 8pm in the evening, the entire gang were sitting under a large oak tree, talking, laughing and well on their way to being drunk.

"I propose a toast!" a tipsy Logan cried out, holding up a can of the beer his twenty-one-year-old cousin had bought him.

"Here, here!" Jake shouted, tumbling into Finn's lap.

"A toast indeed!" Logan proclaimed. "So raise your glasses with me comrades and we shall toast – shall toast...t-toast-"

"Toast what?" Fionna asked, hiccupping.

"Toast, toast..." Logan trailed off, then shrugged.

"The new year!" Gumble chimed in, holding up his own rum and Coke, and the whole gang cheered loudly.

"Yes, yes, the new year!" Logan agreed happily, and then splashed some beer down his front as he excitedly went to drink it.

Bonni laughed, looking around at her inebriated friends.  
She sipped at her own drink and then felt two arms wrap around her middle.

"Hey," Marceline's breath was hot in her ear, and smelt of tequila. "Having fun?"

Bonni smiled, turned around to find her girlfriend's lips, and kissed her.

"Yes," she said, grinning. "Are you?"

"I am," Marceline smiled, hugging her a little tighter.

"Marceline!" drunk Finn yelled enthusiastically. "I've got some rum, you want some?"

"Nah dude, I'm sticking with tequila tonight," the black-haired girl replied, holding up her own half-full bottle. "Thanks though!"

She slipped her legs on either side of Bonni and rested her head on the red-haired girl's shoulder.

Gumble looked over at them, smiling at how happy his sister looked in Marceline's arms, and then felt a kiss land on his cheek and an arm slide around his shoulders.  
He turned around to see a certain handsome young man smirking at him.

"Marshall!"Finn cried, turning his attention to the other Abadeer twin now. "You want some rum dude?"

Marshall laughed.

"Eh...sure!" he said, reaching for the bottle.

Finn excitedly passed it to him and Marshall took a swig.

"Ahh! Thanks man!"

Marshall grinned at Gumble as he handed the bottle back.

"You _reek _of rum now!" the redheaded boy told him.

Marshall shrugged casually.

"I bet I taste like it too!" he said, leaning in. 

* * *

As soon as the two young men's lips pressed together, Lich felt anger drop and explode in his chest like a bomb.  
From where he stood several metres away, he gripped his own beer can tightly, then threw it to the ground, kicked it fiercely, and marched across the darkness over to the gang. 

* * *

"You filthy faggots are still going at it!" he spat, as he got close.

Gumble's stomach lurched uncomfortably in apprehension but Marshall's firm squeeze around his shoulders instantly calmed him.

"Get out of here Lich," Finn warned, and even though he was drunk, his tone meant business. "No one in this circle wants to drink with you."

"They already got you expelled, don't cause yourself any more trouble!" BMO piped up, and Lich turned around quickly, his eyes locking on the boy who had just spoken.

"Don't _talk_ to me you little _fag_!" he barked, storming forward, grabbing a fistful of BMO's hair and pulling hard.

"Hey!"

Both Finn and Fionna rushed forward and threw themselves at Lich, making him let go of BMO, stumble backwards and fall to the ground.

"Now get _out_ of here you asshole!" Fionna shot at him.

"Yeah, just leave us all alone you fucker!" Finn added.

Lich pulled himself into a sitting position, looked past Finn and Fionna, and stared straight at Gumble.

"I'm going to get you," he said, clearly and angrily. "I-"

But before he could finish, Marshall had jumped to his feet, stormed over and delivered a kick to Robert Lich's side.  
Lich let out a howl of pain as he lurched backwards on the ground.

"You _fucker_!" he whined, in a defeated voice.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Marshall snapped, his voice so vehemently furious that nearly everyone in the gang flinched. "Leave us all the fuck alone and I won't have to do it again! Now get out of here Lich! _Now_!"

Lich scrambled quickly to his feet, shot Gumble a quick filthy look, and then stamped angrily off across the dark fields.

"You OK dude?" Marshall looked to BMO who was rubbing his head.

"Yeah, I'm alright," BMO replied, smiling gratefully around at Finn, Fionna and Marshall.

"What about you honey?" Carla leaned forward to Gumble.

Gumble looked up sharply.  
He saw the sympathy etched in Carla's face, and when he looked around the circle, he saw it in everybody else's eyes too.  
And he hated it. _Hated _it.  
Absolutely despised how everyone was looking at him with such compassion and pity, as if he was some sort of pathetic victim.  
A pathetic victim of somebody he could barely defend himself from.  
Bonni put a comforting hand on his knee, and the commiseration in _her_ eyes (his own sister who he had put through so much) was what made him snap.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Gumble said shortly, nonchalantly brushing Bonni's hand off and leaping to his feet.

"Hey, wait!"

"Dude, stop!"

"Gumble, don't!"

"Hey man-"

But the redhead didn't listen to any of them. He just walked quickly away from the group.

"Gumble, come on," Marshall gently took his boyfriend's arm, and was shocked when he was just shrugged off.

"_Don't_ Marshall!" Gumble barked, and kept walking. "Just don't!"

Marshall made to follow him but was stopped by Marceline grabbing the belt of his jeans.

"Let him go dude," she said gently. "Let him go."

Marshall watched his boyfriend storm away, feeling utterly helpless.  
And hating Lich more than ever. 

* * *

Gumble kept walking and walking, feeling the anger and embarrassment throb through him like a virus.  
He barged around the fields, puffing hard, and eventually began to feel the negativity ebbing away from him.  
With each step, he felt less and less awful.  
And then he stopped, alone and hurt in the middle of some very vast fields. 

* * *

"He just pushed my hand away!" Bonni was shouting out, almost hysterically. "He's never done that before! I don't know _why _he-"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Marceline tightened her grip around her girlfriend's waist and held her a little closer. "It's OK, he just got a little self-conscious is all. He needed a moment alone."

"But what if-?"

But Marceline shook her head.

"What if nothing," she concluded simply. "He's still your brother, he's still your friend. He just needed a second to cool off. He'll be back when he's ready."

Bonni nodded, calmed down, and kissed her girlfriend gratefully. 

* * *

Gumble stopped by a large birch tree and slipped down to the ground to sit under its branches. He sighed heavily, regretting his decision of running off.  
But he had just felt so _humiliated_, all those eyes (well-meaning eyes but still) staring at him, seeing him as a casualty, singling him out.

"Hey."

The red-haired boy turned around and saw BMO standing a few paces away, smiling amicably.  
Gumble looked at him, remembering the way Lich had yanked at his hair.  
He probably felt pretty embarrassed too.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Your head OK?"

"Yeah, it's fine," BMO replied, running a hand absent-mindedly through his hair. "What about you? Are you alright?"

Gumble smiled sadly, looked down at the ground, sighed.  
Then he looked up at BMO, shrugged.

"I'm so sick of people seeing me as a victim BMO," he said unhappily. "I'm so sick of people looking at me like I'm some sort of pitiful weakling, it's embarrassing."

He hung his head and BMO looked at him for a long moment.  
Then he stepped forward, sat down next to Gumble and heaved a sigh.

"Gumble," he began. "There's only one person who sees you as a weakling and that's you. Everyone else sees you as their friend. Their friend who they're worried about and they want to help look after. Their friend who-"

"But I shouldn't _need _looking after BMO!" Gumble interrupted, looking up at him. "I should be able to look after myself!"

"Gumble," BMO's tone was indignant, as he shook his head. "_Everyone_ needs looking after sometimes. We all need help every once in a while, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. You can't be expected to do this all on your own, that'd be crazy!" he paused, "We all just want to be _there _for you Gumble, that's all."

Gumble nodded, considering this, and then smiled warmly at his friend.

"Thanks BMO."

BMO beamed at him.

"No problem Gumble! Now come on," he said, climbing to his feet. "Lada's parents went away for New Year's so after what just happened, she called for a sleepover at her house. We're getting _pizza_!"

Gumble grinned up at his friend.  
And when BMO offered him a hand to help pull him up, he took it.


	21. Chapter 21 (NSFW, 18's)

_**Author's Note: Hey buds! Just so you all know, this chapter is majorly NSFW.  
I don't intend anyone under the age of eighteen to read it, and it's certainly not something to read in public. :P  
narwhal asked me to warn when the NSFW is coming with parentheses so I shall. :)  
The codeword is {puhoy}. When the action starts, it'll be marked with a {puhoy on}, when it ends it'll be marked with a {puhoy off}.  
Other than that, thanks for all the support of this story so far!**_

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1! Happy New Year!"

The inebriated friends scrambled around Lada's living room, hugging each other, placing clumsy kisses on cheeks, and cheering animatedly.  
In the corner of the room, Gumble shared a long kiss with Marshall, trying to lose his worries in the other man's embrace.

"Happy New Year Gumble," Marshall said as they broke apart. "I'm really glad I'm starting it with you dude."

The redhead gave his boyfriend's hands a squeeze as he smiled back at him, touched.

"Same here, Happy New Year Marshall!"

The two leaned in to kiss again and then, when they had both pulled back, the black-haired boy glanced around the room.

"What?" Gumble asked him.

"Hmm," Marshall frowned in concentration, surveying the room. "Looks like our friends are too drunk to notice if we were to sneak upstairs."

As Gumble's face flushed red and his mouth fell open, the black-haired young man winked at him, smirking devilishly.

"What's the matter?" he asked casually, seeing the look of shock on his boyfriend's face.

"Marshall, that's so _distasteful_! In this house now with all our friends _right downstairs_?"

The taller man's smirk weakened, turning into an understanding smile.

"Alright man, if you don't want to, we don't have to. We can-"

"I didn't say _no_!" Gumble complained and Marshall's smirk returned. 

* * *

"Hey, what's the matter?"

Marceline curled a finger under Bonni's chin and pointed her face upwards.  
Bonni smiled glumly at her, sighed.

"I thought we were _finished _with Lich," she said dolefully. "But even after he was _expelled_, he's still coming after Gumble and-"

"Hey, no he's not! Lich is too much of a chickenshit to go after anyone," Marceline told her calmly. "Tonight was just a case of him being drunk and stupid and homophobic. Plus, we've gone _weeks _with no trouble from the asshole!"

"True," Bonni considered this, still looking worried. "But what if he decides to do something Marceline? What if he-?"

But Bonni was cut off by her girlfriend laughing.

"Dude, I know you were at the dentist that morning but the last time Lich _did_ something, your brother gave him a black eye for trying!"

Bonni couldn't help but smile at that one.

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I am!" Marceline said confidently. "And besides, if the fucker _does _decide to come after Gumble, he has to go through all of _us _first."

Bonni's smile became broader and more grateful, and she leaned in to kiss Marceline lightly on the mouth.

"You're so sweet," the redhead said, taking hold of her girlfriend's hand. "Thanks."

The black-haired young woman shrugged.

"No need to thank me Bon," she said casually. "It's what I'm here for yo!"

Bonni just continued smiling, and leaned in to kiss her again. 

* * *

**{puhoy on}  
**  
"Mein _Gott_!" Gumble puffed, looking up at Lada's guest room ceiling. "Oh mein Gott, ja!"

Marshall placed his feet a little wider apart, giving himself the space to push in a little deeper.

"Oh ja! Nicht zu _stoppen_! Don't _stop_!"

The male Abadeer twin happily followed this command.  
Gumble was lying out on the bed in front of him and Marshall was standing in such a way that he could easily shove his cock into Gumble's waiting hole.  
One hand held Gumble's right leg for support while, at the same time, his other hand was wrapped around his boyfriend's shaft, pumping steadily.

"Fuck! Schieben sie es in! _Es in_!"

Marshall picked up the speed of his pelvis, driving himself into Gumble a little more forcefully.  
As the redhead groaned in ecstasy, Marshall tipped back his head, closed his eyes and let himself get lost in the sheer delight of the moment.  
Feeling Gumble's inner muscles around his dick was so electrifying and raw and _sweet_.  
He continued plunging in deep, feeling himself get closer and closer to the brink.

**{puhoy off}**

* * *

Shortly after midnight, Marceline realized how tired she was when she let out a long, exhausted yawn.  
Moments later, she saw Bonni do the same, followed by a sleepy blink, and leaned in to suggest something to her.

"You wanna head back to mine? You can stay over."

Bonni smiled up at her jadedly, kissed the other girl's cheek and nodded.

"Sure, ready when you are."

In under ten minutes, the two women were waving goodbye to their friends as they headed out the front door.

"Do you think we should have waited for Marshall?" Bonni asked as they made their way down Lada's driveway and onto the street.

"Nah," Marceline replied. "The dude knows where we live by now. And besides, I was _not _going upstairs to interrupt whatever gay stuff he and Gumble are doing!"

Bonni cringed, the way all young people would when faced with the notion of their sibling having a sex life.

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed with Marceline. "Better to let them find their own way home."

"Exactly," Marceline yawned again, then went on. "Plus, there'll be plenty of gay sex going on once we get into my room!"

Bonni was glad it was dark. That way, Marceline couldn't see her blush. Or her sudden excited smile. 

* * *

**{puhoy}**

"Oh _man_!" Marshall moaned as he continued shoving himself in. "Oh fuck, I'm close!"

"Oh ja, me too!" Gumble grunted in response, and immediately the black-haired man picked up his speed.

He stroked Gumble faster, rubbing his thumb over the tip, _milking_ that sweet cock for all it was worth.  
Meanwhile, Gumble shut his eyes in anticipation, feeling himself get higher and higher, to the very _pinnacle_ of pleasure.  
The feeling of Marshall, hard and big, inside him was enough to make him climax any day. But the combined feeling of being _stroked_ was just enough to-

"Hier ist es! I'm cumming!"

Their orgasms were just about synchronised, Marshall releasing just as white cum blasted from Gumble's tip.

They both grinned, sweaty and tired, and very, very satisfied. 

* * *

**{the puhoy continues!}**

"Oh ja! Genau dort, genau _dort!_"

_Genau dort, _Marceline thought to herself. _That means...'right there!' It means 'right there.' OK, that's a good thing, it means she's liking this.  
_Marceline shoved her hips down harder, grinding faster, making her clit rub together more effectively with her girlfriend's.  
The long groan that escaped from Bonni's mouth made Marceline smirk into the red-haired young woman's shoulder. Looks like her translation had been accurate!

Marceline then turned her attention lovingly to Bonni's neck, mixing teeth and tongue into the kisses she provided to the soft skin there.  
The redhead reached up and hungrily grabbed her lover's ass, making Marceline pick up speed.

"Ist das gut?" she asked Bonni, leaning back to look into the red-haired young woman's face. "Ja? Das gut?"

Bonni didn't know why hearing Marceline speak German to her was so _sexy _but it definitely was. She moved her own hips in rhythm to the ones already crushing so satisfyingly against her, and purred a sultry reply.

"Ja, es ist sehr gut! Sehr _hot_!"

_Yeah, it's very good. Very _hot_!  
_Those words made Marceline tremble a little as she continued bearing down, already brought closer to her own sexual zenith.  
With each and every moan and whimper that broke out of Bonni's mouth, she came nearer and nearer until-

"Oh fuck, I'm gonna cum!"

"Oh ja, cum für mich!"

_Cum for me.  
_Those were the words that made Marceline topple over into the glorious abyss of bliss and gratification.  
Bonni followed suit shortly after, twitching and groaning in the black-haired woman's arms as she finished.

As they hugged their sweaty bodies together afterwards, Marceline smirked down at Bonni.

"War das gut?" she asked, and Bonni smirked back.

"Ja," she said, reaching up to stroke Marceline's face affectionately. "Das war _sehr_ gut."


	22. Chapter 22

**Guys, let me offer my sincerest apologies on the lack of updates on this story recently.**  
**I've been going through some personal stuff and things got kinda bleak for a while there, keeping me away from projects like "Life & Times In Advent Tides."**  
**So I'm sorry this chapter took _much _longer than the rest, and I promise to try and update more regularly from now on.**  
**Thanks for all your support buds, you really are amazing. :)**  
**Stay smiling.**

Many weeks had passed without much difficulty.  
The bitter chill of January melted into the much milder February, and by early April, summer was well on its way.  
The slightly warmer weather made for longer walks, brighter evenings and considerably heightened cheer for most residents of Advent Tides.  
School was largely uneventful, friendships in the gang only continued to blossom, and the romantic relationships formed in the group remained as strong and close as ever.  
And for a long time, everything was good. 

* * *

It was Finn who saw the omen warning that the tides were about to change. Not that he noticed its significance at the time.  
He was simply walking home on one of the last days of school in May when a bird's nest fell from a tree right in front of him.

"Oh no!" he muttered, and ran forward.

Relieved, he saw that the nest was empty, not an egg or baby bird in sight.  
Smiling in appreciation, Finn glanced back up at the trees above him and called "better luck with the next one guys!"  
He then continued his walk home, glad he hadn't had to see anything upsetting, and supremely unaware of how much things were about to change.

Summer started blissfully, with the gang habitually meeting up to hang out and spend time with one another. Laughter filled their lungs, private jokes were aplenty, and closer bonds seemed to be forged nearly every second.  
It was only at the end of June that things darkened.

* * *

"Carla, popcorn me!"

Carla smirked and threw a piece of popcorn across the living room to Fionna, who caught it expertly in her mouth. The whole room let out a cheer.

"Nice!" Jake chuckled. "You guys been practicing?"

"All day long baby," Carla winked at him.

Gumble smiled sleepily and stretched. Marshall gave his boyfriend's shoulders a squeeze.

"You alright dude?" he asked quietly, with one of the small, gentle grins he reserved only for the red-haired young man beside him.

Gumble smiled warmly back at him.

"Yeah, just a bit tired," he reported drowsily. "I think maybe I should go home soon. I promised my dad I'd help him clean out the garage in the morning, it's been a mess since the day we moved in!"

Marshall laughed.

"OK then, you want me to walk you home?"

"Nah," Gumble said, patting his leg affectionately. "You stay with the guys. My house is only around the corner!"

Marshall nodded, kissed his boyfriend goodnight, and then Lada walked him to the door.

"Thanks for having me Lada," Gumble said as he stepped outside into the warm June air. "It was a great movie night! One of the best of the summer so far!"

Lada grinned.

"Thanks Gumble, see you soon! Well, let's be honest, see you _tomorrow_ probably!"

Gumble grinned, bade her goodnight and began his short walk home.

Some people will tell you that there is a sort of intuitive bond between twins, especially twins who are very close. Bonni Boehm would be one of the people to agree with this.  
As she stepped out of the steadily emptying movie theatre, she paused for a moment, frowned.  
Marceline stopped and turned around, still slurping on her cherry soda.

"You OK Bon?"

Bonni narrowed her eyes, shook her head and looked up at her girlfriend.

"I just got really strong déjà vu," she said. "At least I _think _that's what it was...You ever get that?"

Marceline shrugged casually.

"Sure, everyone does," she said simply, and reached out a hand. "You're probably just tired B-Bubs. No big deal."

Bonni smiled, took the black-haired girl's hand and let Marceline lead her out of the cinema.  
She took her girlfriend's word for it, brushed the small incident off, and the uncomfortable feelings left her. Until she got home.

Gumble rounded the corner, humming to himself.  
He was happy, it had been a good night. Deciding to take the shortcut across the small abandoned field that separated his row of houses from Lada's, Gumble kicked his legs over the fence and trekked through the overgrown, grassy clearing.  
Suddenly, a cat ran out from under a bush and darted between his legs, causing the redhead to cry out slightly in shock.  
He bent down and watched the cat streak off behind him.

"Whoa, careful little buddy!"

"_Still_ talking to yourself Gumble?"

Gumble's heart seemed to stop and restart twice as fast, his stomach dropped, his mouth went dry. He looked up, slowly, reluctantly.  
And saw himself staring into the mean little eyes of Robert Lich, making his way towards him through the darkened field.

"You're not only a faggot, you're a _crazy_ faggot, you know that?"

Gumble didn't speak. He just looked back at Lich, then glanced around.

"No one's here to save you!" Lich spat. "Not your freaky friends or your fag boyfriend or your dyke sister or-"

"Shut up!" Gumble only knew he was going to say it when he did. "Don't _talk _about any of them like that!"

Lich glared at him.

"You think you can speak to me like that?" he asked in a low, angry voice.

And for the first time, Gumble noticed the slight sway in his step. When he walked closer, he noticed the faint aroma of alcohol on Lich's breath.

"Lich, please-"

"You filthy. Fucking. Fag."

Gumble felt large hands dig painfully into his arms, he was thrown to the ground, a big foot crashed down on his head. And then everything went dark.

* * *

"Bonni. _Bonni_! Bonni, wake up!"

Perry Boehm clicked on his daughter's bedroom light.

"Urgh! Papa, _what_?"

Bonni blinked sleepily in the sudden, harsh brightness.

"Bonni, get up," Perry said, and the seriousness in his voice made the redhead sit up straight. "It's four o' clock in the morning and Gumble isn't home."

Bonni's eyes widened, she felt her stomach drop and fear clutch at her chest.

"W-what?"

"He never came home," Perry said, and now Bonni could see the worry etched deeply into his face. "I woke up about twenty minutes ago to use the bathroom and checked in on both of you like I always do. But he's not in his bed. Or anywhere in the house, I've looked. And he's not answering his phone."

Despite it being summer, Bonni suddenly felt very cold. And a little sick.

"Well, h-he was at Lada's house for a movie night," Bonni told her father. "Marceline and I dropped him off on our way to the movies. He said he'd walk home."

Perry nodded.

"Call Lada," he said. "Ask what time he left at. If he's not staying over at hers, we'll call the police."

Bonni nodded, swinging her legs out of bed as Perry marched out of the room.  
She picked up her phone from where it was recharging on her desk, and dialled Lada's number with trembling fingers, willing herself to be steady and brave for Gumble's sake.  
The phone rang. Once. Twice. Three times.

"Annyeonghaseyo?" a sleepy voice croaked. "Hello?"

"Lada, it's Bonni," the red-haired girl said quickly.

A short pause.

"Bonni?" Lada sounded much more awake now. "What's wrong?"

"Lada, Gumble never came home!" Bonni said. "Did he sleep over at yours?"

Another pause. And then the answer she was dreading.

"No," her friend said in a hushed voice. "It's four a.m. He left my house at midnight."

Bonni felt her hands go numb, and a shiver snake it way quickly up her spine. She turned around and saw Perry was back, standing nervously in her doorway.

"Bonni? Bonni, are you still there?" Lada's voice was engraved with concern.

"Call the police," Bonni told her father in a terrified whisper.

* * *

While Perry was downstairs calling the police, Bonni tried ringing Gumble's phone three times to no avail. She then dialled another number.  
This one took two tries before the drowsy recipient picked up.

"Yo Bonni, a little late for a booty call, don't you think?"

"Marceline, I need you to come over, it's an emergency."

"Wait, what? What type of-"

"Just come over! And bring the car."

Then she hung up before she had to answer any questions. She was in no fit state to be answering questions. She then quickly changed from her pyjamas into a hoodie and jeans and headed downstairs.

"The police are on their way," Perry told her as she made her way down the stairs, then he frowned. "Why did you get dressed?"

"Marceline and I are going to go look for him," and she then quickly added when she saw the disapproving look on Perry's face, "I know it's not a good idea. But I just can't sit around and wait Papa."

Perry narrowed his eyes, then nodded.

"OK Bonni," he said. "Just be careful."

"I will," she hugged her father. "Ich liebe dich."

"Ich liebe dich auch my darling," Perry said, hugging her back.

Perhaps it was a testament to how much she cared about Bonni that Marceline showed up to the Boehm house before the police did.  
The red-haired girl ran across her front lawn towards the car and slipped hurriedly into the passenger's side.

"Bonni, what's going on?" Marceline asked, her voice anxious and fearful. "What's happening?"

Bonni looked over at Marceline, made eye contact with her.

"Gumble's missing," she said, and terror lit up in her girlfriend's eyes.

"_What_? But Marshall said he left Lada's early to-"

"I know but he never came home and he's not picking up when we ring him," Bonni said. "Papa's called the police but I can't just sit around and do nothing. Can we go look for him?"

The shock and fear disappeared from Marceline's face, to be replaced by determination.

"Of course," she said resolutely as she pulled away from the kerb.

The car drove slowly down Lada's row of houses, Bonni and Marceline peering carefully into each garden and driveway as they went past.

"I don't see – _aaargh_!"

A figure had suddenly run out of the darkness and slammed their hands on Marceline's window.  
Lada looked into the car, her face the very picture of worry.

"What are you _doing_?" Marceline cried as she rolled down the window. "You scared the fuck out of me Lada!"

"Sorry, I just saw your car from my window and recognised it," Lada said, then looked across at Bonni. "Any news?"

Bonni shook her head, no.

"Sorry for waking you," she said. "It's just that-"

"Don't be silly," Lada cut her off. "We have to find him. Can I get in the car Marceline?"

The dark-haired girl nodded.

"Of course you can. Hop in."

Lada slid into the backseat and they set off again.

* * *

"Where was he last seen Mr Boehm?" a tall, rotund police officer was asking him.

Perry looked up from where he sat on the couch, and at the back of his mind he mused on how much this officer looked like a big banana.

"At his friend's house over on Iridis Road," he told him. "Her name is Lada Mujigae."

The police officer took a note of this.

"OK and do you have any recent pictures we could use as reference to find him?"

Perry nodded and let out a dejected sigh as he rose from the couch, feeling like if this wasn't hell on earth, he didn't know what was.

"Did he seem upset at all to you?" Bonni asked Lada as they drove back up towards the Boehm house.

Lada shook her head.

"No, just a bit tired," she said. "But he seemed really happy the whole night!"

"This is the way he would have come, right?" Marceline said as they drove down Rosea Street.

"He would have had to," Lada said. "Unless he cut across the field or some-"

They all froze, looked at one another.

Marceline turned the car and began driving back towards Lada's house.

"Where is your daughter now Mr Boehm?" asked the female police officer (who also resembled a banana).

"She went out to search for her brother," Perry answered, and the officer frowned.

"I understand that she's worried about Gumbles but you should have made her stay here."

"It's Gumble," Perry corrected, not even looking at her. "And I couldn't have stopped Bonni even if I'd wanted to."

Marceline parked the car just beside the rusted gate of the fields and all three girls got out to clamber their way over it.  
Once they dropped over to the other side, Bonni jogged ahead, Marceline and Lada close behind.

"Gumble? Gumble!" Bonni called, squinting around the pitch black field. "Gumble, are you-?"

Her foot hit something soft and she nearly tripped.  
She looked down and gasped, feeling nauseous and petrified and numb all at once.  
Gumble was passed out on the ground, his body twisted in an unnatural shape and his head bleeding.

Marceline and Lada caught up with Bonni, their faces instantly going white when they saw her twin.  
Lada, who had once done a course in first aid training, dropped to Gumble's side, took his wrist and placed her ear to his chest.

"He's still breathing!" she told them elatedly.

Bonni nearly fainted with the relief.

"But we need to act quickly," Lada said, looking up at them. "Marceline, call an ambulance. Bonni, do you want to call your dad?"

Bonni nodded torpidly, and was very glad when Marceline's hand slipped into her own.


	23. Chapter 23

Marceline picked up a magazine, then threw it back down. She sighed heavily and Lada looked over at her, glancing up from the cooking magazine she was absent-mindedly flicking through.

"Be patient," she said, but it was in a kind voice. "I'm sure we'll get news soon."

Marceline smiled gratefully at her but then shrugged.

"It's not _us_ I'm worried about Lada," she said gently. "It's Bonni. And Perry. And...Gumble."

Marceline frowned. Saying his name felt odd on this strange night. It seemed to affect Lada too because she fell silent. They both did.  
They had talked plenty on the way over, driving behind the ambulance that Perry and Bonni had both decided to ride in with Gumble. They had comforted one another, convinced each other that everything would be fine, spoke as if they knew what they were talking about.

"Lada?" Marceline ventured after a moment.

"Yeah?"

Marceline paused, then made eye contact with the pretty blonde girl sitting beside her.

"Do you really think he'll be OK?"

Lada gave Marceline a sad smile.

"I hope so," she said, and when the dark-haired girl nodded and then turned away to hide her tears, Lada gently took her hand.  
And Marceline was grateful for it. 

* * *

The deep gash ran from behind his ear to just above his left eyebrow, narrowly missing his eye. He also had bruising around his chin, and a big scratch all the way down his right arm.  
Despite these injuries though, he looked serene in the bed, mouth slightly open, just as if he was sleeping normally.  
Bonni held his left hand, running her thumb gently up and down his own.  
She wondered when the last time she would have held his hand was. Crossing the street when they were six years old? No, it would have been sooner than that. Maybe their grandmother's funeral two years ago? Yeah, maybe then.  
His hands were a little rough, calloused in places, but they were pretty soft for a man's hands.  
She looked up, saw her father through the window, talking to the doctor. That was just like Perry Boehm, he wanted all the facts, all the figures, all the statistics.  
Would he have brain damage when he woke up? 50/50 chance.  
Would he wake up at all? Anything was possible.  
But Perry wanted more than that, he wanted specifics, solid evidence, _hope_.  
Bonni imagined from the look on her father's face (as well as the doctor's) that their conversation was going around in circles. Her heart went out to her papa.  
She looked back at Gumble.

"Hey," she whispered. "You're gonna be alright, you know that?"

Silence.

"Yeah," Bonni went on, nodding, as if agreeing with herself. "You are. You're a fighter Gumble, you're brave. You're going to be fine. And – and – a-and-"

She looked right up at him, tears leaking from her eyes and spilling down her cheeks.

"And you can't _die_, OK?" she said, her voice louder now. "You just can't! Mein Gott, das ist falsch. Gumble, I-"

"Das...ist...falsch..."

Bonni's eyes went wider than she ever thought they could.  
Had Gumble just spoken?

"Das...ist..."

"Gumble!"

He had! Oh thank God, he had!

"Gumble, can you hear me? Gumble, es ist Bonni, it's Bonni!"

"Buhhh..."

"That's right Gumble, come back to us!"

A current of awareness rippled across his face, his eyes opened, looked to the ceiling.  
Then his attention moved to Bonni, he frowned, confused.

"Bonni? Wo sind wir? What are we doing here?"

But his sister had let out some sort of delighted yelp and leapt on him, hugging him tight. Perry and the doctor caught sight of this and, seeing Gumble's fully awake and alert face, rushed inside.  
Bonni practically had to be prised off him, crying in relief, sobbing with the type of release that only comes from knowing that someone you love so much is going to be OK.


	24. Chapter 24

Lada looked up sharply when the red-haired girl entered the waiting room, while Marceline immediately jumped to her feet.  
However, both girls could see from the look on Bonni's face that the news was good.

"He's OK?" Marceline asked with a hopeful grin.

"He's OK!" Bonni replied, the joy audibly gushing out in her voice.

Lada and Marceline both made loud relieved noises as Bonni grinned at them.

"And hey," she went on, her voice gathering seriousness. "I want to thank you guys for everything. Getting up at 4am, searching for Gumble with me, following us to the hospital, waiting for-"

"Hey," Marceline held up a hand to silence her grateful girlfriend. "Don't thank us, it's not a big deal."

"Are you kidding me? It's a freaking _huge_ deal! Something awful could have happened to my family tonight and you guys were so great about the whole-"

"Bonni," Lada stopped her in a slightly commanding voice. "Stop. Like Marceline said, you don't have to thank us. That's just what friends do!"

Bonni looked from Lada to Marceline and back again, and grinned broadly.

"Well, you guys are just the best friends ever," she said, then paused, winced. "_God_, that sounds cheesy! But it's true."

The three of them laughed, right as Perry entered the room, looking just as tired (but also just as elated) as his daughter.  
He looked around from his daughter to her friends and beamed.

"Everyone alright?"

As the three friends nodded, Perry put a comforting arm around Bonni's shoulders and looked warmly over at Lada and Marceline.

"I can't thank you two girls enough," he said genially. "You really went above and beyond the call of duty tonight, both of you. Thank you so much, my family is very grateful to you."

Lada grinned back at Perry while Marceline looked humbly at her feet and muttered something about it being no problem.  
Suddenly, a serious look clouded Lada's face and she looked up at Perry properly.

"Mr Boehm, is Gumble going to be alright?"

Perry smiled, nodding happily.

"Perfectly!" he answered with glee. "No brain damage, no paralysis, no nothing. He's very lucky – the doctors are just keeping him overnight for observation, he's getting some rest now and should be able to come home with us tomorrow. Well, once the police are done questioning him..."

All eyes in the room went quizzically to Perry Boehm.

"Police?" Marceline echoed, and then remembered. "Oh fuck, yeah! Who _did_ that to him?"

Bonni frowned curiously up at her father as his features darkened and his eyes went out of focus.

"Papa?" she said softly, which seemed to ground him back to reality.

"Who else do you think?" Perry growled, in a tone much more vicious than Bonni had ever heard him use. "That fucking beast from school, Robert Lich."

A shocked silence followed this reveal, all three girls sharing stunned and horrified glances with each other. 

* * *

Lich was still panting when he burst through his back door and then closed it quickly but quietly behind him, not wanting to wake up anyone in the house.

He put his hands to the back of his head, closed his eyes and groaned.  
What the fuck had he done?  
Pummelling that little fag was just a drunken haze to him now (he had sobered up by sweating out the alcohol on the run home) but he clearly remembered how bad the redhead had looked when he had backed off. He had hoped to see the freak snivelling up at him, begging for mercy.  
But no, Gumble Boehm had looked totally out for the count. Maybe...permanently? Lich shuddered at the thought. If he had killed the weirdo and the police found out it was him, there was really no way he wouldn't be sent to jail.  
Lich suddenly realized how shallow his breathing had gotten, how hard his pulse was going.  
"Shit!" he grunted, and it came to him what he had to do. 

* * *

Marceline tapped out a rhythm against the doorframe of the women's toilets.  
Then she spun round, humming as she walked back up the corridor.  
Lada had wanted to use the toilet before they drove home together, Perry and Bonni were going to stay in the hospital until Gumble was discharged. As she wandered absent-mindedly down the hallway, Marceline suddenly heard a faint weeping sound. She stopped, frowned and then turned slowly, following the noise back towards the waiting room.

Where she found her girlfriend, crying.

"Bonni?" she cried and the red-haired girl looked up sharply, shoving her tears away in agitation.

"M-Marceline!" she said, obviously embarrassed. "Sorry, I-I just-"

"Hey, hey, don't be sorry!" Marceline rushed to Bonni's side and put an arm around her. "It's cool, I don't want you to feel like you can't be emotional around me."

Bonni smiled gratefully at Marceline. Her girlfriend smiled back, then reached forward to grab a box of tissues off of the table, handing one gently to Bonni.

"Thanks," Bonni sniffed as she wiped her eyes. "I don't know. I just started thinking of Gumble in that field with Lich and I got so angry at that _fucking_ monster!"

Marceline felt her eyebrows go up, shocked by Bonni's level of ferocity, while still knowing it was completely justified.

"I got so mad, _so_ mad," Bonni went on, looking purposefully down at the crumpled tissue in her hands. "And then I thought of Gumble, all alone with him. Scared. In _pain_. And how I was just asleep in my bed, that whole time that he was out there in the cold, hurt and bleeding a-and-"

"Hey," Marceline said, holding Bonni a little more comfortingly. "There was no way you could have known, OK? No _way_ dude! You're not psychic Bonni, you can't take responsibility for this."

Bonni sighed, then nodded.

"You're right," she said. "It's just been a long night, y'know?"

"Of course," Marceline said, and gave Bonni a light kiss on the cheek. "It's totally natural to be upset."

Bonni smiled and looked over at her girlfriend, with the type of sweet, caring look in her eyes that always made Marceline feel amazing.

"You really were my hero tonight, you know that?" she said, quietly but sincerely. "Thank you."

She leaned in gently, placed a soft kiss on her girlfriend's lips, and Marceline smiled.

"No problem," she said warmly, and then added. "Anything for you Bonni."

The two young women shared a long, loving kiss in the hospital waiting room.


	25. Chapter 25

By the time Marceline parked her father's car neatly in the Abadeer driveway, the sun was well and truly up, and the day had begun.  
The events of the night now felt like some distant bad dream. But it had been real. And there was still someone left to tell about it. So that was why, as she unlocked the front door and walked in, the dark-haired girl felt a certain amount of reluctance as she glanced up the stairs towards Marshall's room.

* * *

"I don't care what they say," Gumble was telling Bonni as he wolfed down his breakfast of bacon, sausages, eggs and toast. "Hospital food is fantastic!"

Bonni just laughed, still just overjoyed that her brother was alright.  
No brain damage, no amnesia, no long-lasting injuries, nothing. Just a mighty gash and some bruising that would heal in due time.  
And as he sat there, slurping his tea and chomping his food, it hit Bonni just how much she'd miss this guy if he ever left her life.

"I love you," she said, her voice clear and sincere in the empty room, and Gumble looked up. "Don't you ever, _ever_ forget that. I love you Gumble."

The male twin smiled, looked down and then back up, obviously moved (and wonderfully embarrassed) by Bonni's words.

"I love you too Bonni," he said, his voice just as honest and earnest. "Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you. A lot."

The twins smiled warmly at each other just as the door opened and their father walked in, heaving a grave sigh. His disgruntled face lit up for a moment when he saw his children, but as she closed the door neatly behind him, his smile disappeared.  
He looked back around at them, his eyebrows knitted together in irritation.

"What's wrong Papa?" Gumble questioned, and Perry sighed again.

"I just talked to the police," he informed the twins, sitting down heavily in the chair next to Bonni's. "They went over to Robert Lich's house to arrest him for assault and – well – it looks like he's run away."

Bonni and Gumble exchanged shocked, slightly puzzled glances.

"Run away?" Bonni repeated. "What do you mean?"

Perry shrugged.

"He's nowhere to be found," he replied. "Police searched the house just to see if his parents were lying but they honestly seemed to have no idea that their son was involved in any trouble last night. _Or _that he's run off. He obviously figured out that being such a massive savage to Gumble was going to get him in some serious difficulty so he made it his mission to vanish into thin air."

"But they'll find him Papa, right?" Bonni was quick to say. "They'll find him and arrest him for what he did?"

Perry frowned and seemed to think about this for a moment.

"Well of course," he said. "I imagine he can't stay hidden forever. But still, to know that the barbarian is running around somewhere out there..."

Gumble stared down at his breakfast, thinking about this.  
Lich, running from the police, probably panicked and angry. If he had run, that obviously meant he _knew_ he was in trouble, _knew_ he had nothing left to lose.  
The red-haired boy pushed his tray away.  
Suddenly, his appetite was completely gone. 

* * *

Marceline leaned in close against the door that was slightly ajar, hearing her brother snoring from within.  
She had nearly walked away twice, wanting so badly to leave him undisturbed in blissful ignorance. But both times, she had slunk back to his bedroom door, knowing that she _had _to do this.  
She had to be honest with him.  
Finally summoning the courage she needed, Marceline knocked quickly but vigorously on the door.  
Nothing happened. Marshall continued sleeping, uninterrupted.  
Marceline tried again, slightly louder.  
This time, Marshall mumbled a little in his sleep but then started snoring again, louder than ever.  
His sister rolled her eyes and gave the door one final, loud rap with her fist.  
_Bang.  
_"Whuh?"  
Marshall stirred from within and Marceline pushed open the door.

"Hey," she said softly.

Marshall looked groggily up at her, not even sitting up in the bed.

"Marceline?" he asked blearily, and then glanced at his bedside clock. "What the fuck are you doing? It's seven o' clock in the morning!"

But then he saw the seriousness of her stance, the sombre look on her face, the kindly way her eyes were fixed on him. So the male twin sat up quickly then, frowning at his sister.

"What's wrong? Did something happen? Is it Dad? Do I-?"

"Calm down dude, everyone's OK," Marceline said, taking a seat at the edge of his bed. "But something's happened and you should know about it."

Marshall crossed his arms and looked at his sister expectantly. 

* * *

Lich chucked his duffel bag over the wall before he shifted his body onto the top of the wall and then threw his legs over, landing on the hard concrete patio of the unkempt, overgrown garden.  
Then he turned around and peered into the window of the house's back door. He had gotten lucky. Mimi Mowton was sitting at her kitchen table, smoking a cigarette.

"Me-Mow!" Lich knocked hard on the door. "It's Lich, let me in!"

As she opened the latch of the back door, Me-Mow gave Lich a hard smack on the shoulder.

"Fucking moron. You scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry," Lich growled, trying not to lose his cool at her cheeky tone, especially as he needed a favour from her. "Listen, your parents are away for the week, right?"

Me-Mow puffed out some cigarette smoke.

"Nicholas isn't my dad. But yeah," she shrugged. "I have the place to myself. Why?"

Lich held up his duffel bag.

"You owe me one from the whole E thing, remember. Let me stay for a while?"

Me-Mow raised her eyebrows but then, remembering the incident with the ecstasy pills, gestured that Lich should come inside.

* * *

Marshall stayed very quiet after his sister finished the story.  
He looked down at his hands, balling them into fists, stretching them out again and then repeating. He did this for a little while before looking back up at Marceline.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asked, and his voice was dangerously hushed.

Marceline winced. He was hurt. She had upset him.

"Dude, I was going to but - " Marceline struggled for words. "It was all just so _crazy _man! One minute Bonni was waking me up with a phone call, the next we were driving around looking for Gumble, then we found him in the field," Marshall cringed, "and then all of a sudden, we were in the waiting room. And it all went by so fast and -"

"And you didn't think about me for any of it. Yeah, got it," Marshall slid off the bed as Marceline looked at him incredulously.

Marshall said nothing else. He just picked up a pair of jeans from the floor and began pulling them on.

"Dude, that's not _fair_," Marceline said disbelievingly. "I didn't know _how_ to deal with the situation, I was just taking it step by step, texting you didn't even cross my mind, I-"

"Yeah, I didn't cross your mind, I said I got it."

Marceline blinked, and then felt anger sneaking up on her, turning her expression irritated.

"Well, none of it was _about _you," she pointed out, trying to keep her cool. "It was about Gumble and Bonni and Mr Boehm and-"

"And if it was _Bonni_, _I_ would have called _you_!" Marshall snapped, turning back around to face his sister as he zipped up his hoodie. "In a heartbeat. It would have been my first instinct to tell you how your _girlfriend _was doing, especially as you're my sister and I'm-"

"That's _bullshit_ Marshall!" Marceline snapped back, interrupting him. "I didn't have _time_ to think about anything or anyone tonight, we just had to keep going with what was happening and try to keep calm and, and, it's not fair of you to be mad at me man, it's just not. You have no idea what it was like in that waiting room, just-"

"Because you _didn't CALL ME!_"

His furious words seemed to reverberate in the room, and Marceline could only stare at him.  
The twins exchanged a fuming glare with one another before Marshall stomped angrily from the room, trudged heavily down the stairs and slammed the front door loudly on his way out.  
Marceline sat motionlessly at the edge of the bed for a moment, going over what had just happened inside her head. Then she stood up sharply and left, giving one of Marshall's shoes a hard kick as she went.  
She walked down the hallway to her own bedroom, changed quickly and silently into her pyjamas, and lay down in the bed, closing her eyes and hoping that things would be better when she opened them again.


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note: Yet again, I know this story is moving slowly, sorry about that. -_-  
But my personal life is nearly back to normality so I should be able to pick up the pace now. ;)**  
**I made this chapter extra long to make up for my flakiness, I hope you enjoy it! :)**

Gumble slept.  
He always hated sleeping in a bed with more than two pillows but in his exhausted state, he didn't mind being propped up nearly into a sitting position.  
He had slipped effortlessly into dreams after Bonni and Perry had left the room to go get some breakfast in the hospital cafeteria, and now he was out for the count.  
One arm lay outstretched by his side, the other resting serenely on his stomach. He faced the window, mouth slightly open, as he slept deeply in the bed. 

* * *

Marshall didn't trust himself to drive so he took the bus to Advent Tides General Hospital.

He knew it was a good choice as soon as he sat down near the back of the bus and realized how badly he was shaking. Shaking out of fear for Gumble, hatred for Lich, anger for Marceline (and a slowly rising guilt for that same anger), apprehension at the situation as a whole.  
The bus meandered down ambling roads and Marshall shut his eyes tightly against a sudden ambush of tears.  
_Dammit, don't cry you whuss, _he scalded himself. _Gumble needs you, have some fucking courage!  
_He gulped back a lump in his throat as the bus turned a corner and the hospital loomed up ahead. 

* * *

Bonni couldn't help but smirk to herself as she ate her breakfast of eggs, rashers, sausages and toast. Gumble had been right – hospital food _was _pretty good!  
She looked up, about to share this thought with her father, when she noticed the look on his face.  
As he sipped his coffee, Perry's expression was pulled into an alert and deeply troubled frown.

"Are you OK Papa?"

Perry seemed to snap out of it at the sound of her voice, jerking his head around quickly to look at his daughter.

"Hmm? Oh yes," Perry sipped his coffee. "Yes."

The tone in his voice made Bonni suspect he wanted to say more so she waited patiently.  
And she was right.

"I'm just so _mad_ Bonni," Perry said eventually, not looking at her but staring out across the cafeteria. "Mad at that damn Robert Lich kid and the type of irresponsible, cuckoo parents that must have raised him. Mad at this whole horrific situation. Imagine that the crazy asshole is running around out there, free to beat up whoever he likes! Disgraceful."

Bonni felt her eyebrows go up in surprise. She'd never heard her father refer to _anyone _as an "asshole" before. She was pretty sure she'd never heard him curse at all.  
Perry turned to look at her properly, his eyes gleaming with a gravity that made Bonni think he wanted to ask her a serious question.  
She knew her father very well because that's exactly what he did.

"Bonni, do you think-?"

But then he stopped, distracted suddenly by something behind his daughter.  
His eyes widened, he shook slightly and then stood up.

"Philipinna!"

Bonni spun around and felt shock take over her own features.

"_Mutter_?"

And there she was.  
Philipinna Boehm, in the flesh, standing next to her new boyfriend, Duke Nutson. 

* * *

Gumble slept.

A soft breeze fluttered in through the window and as a nurse passed by the room and glanced in through the open door, she smiled at how peaceful Gumble looked.  
He let out a small snore and adjusted his body slightly as he continued to slumber. 

* * *

Marshall knew it would be against hospital procedure to let someone in to see a patient who wasn't a blood relative so as he crossed the vast car park and went up the entrance ramp, he knew he'd have to be sneaky.  
He thought about it and realized that if Gumble had been in a coma like Marceline said, he'd be in the intensive care unit.  
So when he walked through the sliding front doors of the hospital, he quickly looked around for directions and tried his best to look like he had a right to be there. 

* * *

Philipinna nodded politely at her ex-husband and then turned her attention to Bonni, smiling much more warmly as she looked at her daughter.

"Bonni!" she gushed and ran forward to give her a hug.

The redheaded girl didn't so much hug her back as place her hand's gingerly on her mother's back.  
As Philipinna gave her a squeeze and Bonni took in her natural scent, she felt a lump form in her throat and confusion form in her head.  
She had so many mixed feelings for this woman.  
She loved her because she was her mother, although she was still incredibly hurt and angry by her action of discarding her children so readily. She _hated_ her for cheating on their beloved father but now, somehow, she was _glad_ Philipinna was there.  
Her mother leaned back, beaming at her, still holding on to her arms.

"You look _beautiful_," she told her, and then turned to Perry before Bonni could respond. "Where's Gumble?"

"Resting," Perry informed her, his voice sounding slightly dazed.

"But he's OK?" Philipinna asked quickly.

Perry nodded.

"_Perfectly_ OK," he reported. "There'll be no lasting damage, except for a cut and a bruise on his face that'll heal with time."

"Gott sei Dank!" Philipinna breathed a sigh of relief.

It was then that Bonni glanced around and accidentally caught Duke's eye.  
He smiled kindly at her but the red-haired girl turned away quickly, detestation boiling in her chest for the man who had played a part in tearing their family in two.  
This was her first time seeing him in person and she hated him at once.

"Duke, let's sit down," Philipinna said, and the gentle way her mother spoke to him made Bonni hate him even more.

The two sat down at the cafeteria table, Philipinna seating herself beside Bonni with Duke next to her. Perry sank back down in his chair somewhat reluctantly, carefully making sure that he didn't establish eye contact with Duke.  
Feeling a huge rush of sympathy for her father, Bonni smiled encouragingly at him and he smiled back gratefully.

"So tell me," Philipinna said in a businesslike tone. "What the heck _happened_ to him?"

Bonni and Perry exchanged uncertain glances and Perry heaved a sigh before turning rather unenthusiastically to his ex-wife.

"Well," he began. "It's a long story." 

* * *

Gumble slept.  
In his dreams, he was in the middle of a field at sunset, staring into a big mirror that was nailed to a tree.  
The cut on his face had grown black moss and he brushed his fingers against it, hating how ugly it looked.  
Then he turned around sharply, hearing someone laughing in the distance.  
Was it...?  
Yes! That was Bonni's laugh! _And_ Logan's. And Fionna's. And Lada's. And Jake's.  
And...Marshall's!  
Grinning, Gumble turned to run towards the voices but a large, bulking figure blocked his path.  
It was Lich, looking bigger and heftier and meaner than ever.  
He took a step forward and Gumble took a step back, bumping against the mirror and feeling afraid, so afraid that -

"_Gumble_!"

His eyes shot open, relief flooding him when he saw he was safe in the hospital bed.  
And pure _joy_ flooding him when he saw...

"Marshall!" his voice was dry so his boyfriend's name came out in a thrilled croak.

The messy-haired Abadeer boy grinned the biggest grin the redhead had ever seen as he threw his arms around Gumble and hugged him tight.

He kissed his way across his boyfriend's shoulder, up his neck, to his cheek and then crashed their mouths together, feeling tears well up in his eyes and just not caring.  
Gumble put his arms under Marshall's armpits and pulled him closer, intensifying their kiss and including the intimacy of tongues.  
As they broke apart, Gumble looked up at the black-haired young man in surprise.

"Are you _crying_?" he couldn't help but laugh.

Tears just didn't look right on a face like Marshall's.  
His boyfriend laughed as he shoved at his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Shut up!" the male Abadeer twin chuckled. "This is your fault, you made me love you got me all emotional!"

Gumble beamed at Marshall and Marshall smiled back at him. Then he looked around, spotted a chair, dragged it closer to the bed and sat down.

"So," he said, still smiling. "Does it even need saying how totally, ridiculously and completely relieved I am that you're OK?"

Gumble smirked at him.

"Meh, you can feed my ego and still say it," he joked.

"Well, I am dude," Marshall said, his face gathering some earnestness. "Seriously, how bad would my life be if the light of it went out?"

Gumble could only blush at that. 

* * *

Philipinna stared in shock at Perry once he'd finished the story.  
She looked down at the table, frowned in confusion and then looked back up at him.

"So...I...does-? So..."

She struggled for words, then shook her head, sighed, seemed to compose her thoughts more carefully.

"So Gumble is in a gay relationship with another boy and some brute at school has been targeting him for it? And now that brute has put him in the hospital?"

"Yes," Perry confirmed. "That's the short version of events."

"But the same boy was expelled from _school_ for harassing him?" Philipinna went on.

"Yes, correct," Perry said.

Philipinna let out a short, mean noise that Bonni hated the sound of.

"Well, at least _they_ took the situation seriously!"

Perry looked calmly back at her, not a man to be provoked.  
Duke looked up though, and touched Philipinna's arm gently.

"Honey, I don't think-"

"I mean, why did you never call the police Perry?" Philipinna continued, ignoring Duke completely. "Why did you just let this bullying go on without _doing_ anything? Not that you were _ever_ really good at doing anything but-"

"Watch your tongue."

The words were growled by the redheaded girl at the table and all eyes swivelled to her immediately.  
Philipinna looked shocked and horrified, as if Bonni had just slapped her hard across the face. Bonni stared stonily back at her, keeping her gaze.  
However, Perry looked at Bonni tranquilly, knowing that his daughter was not the type to be angered easily and if she was jumping to his defence, it meant she loved him an awful lot. He was touched by it, but had to remain indifferent, knowing that Philipinna would love to get an argument out of him if she could.  
Duke just looked at Bonni in shock and confusion, completely puzzled as to what to do.

"Bonni," Perry broke the tense silence and the red-haired girl looked round at him. "Why don't you go check on Gumble? One of us should be there if he wakes up. Your mother and I have a few things to discuss."

Wanting to show her mother how obedient she was of her other parent, Bonni stood up with a "yes Papa" and left the cafeteria without looking back, knowing that this was for the best.  
If her mother kept talking that way about Perry, it was safest for her that she wasn't in Bonni's company. 

* * *

"Why do people always bring grapes to sick people in hospitals?" Marshall wondered out loud. "I saw _loads _of different people with grapes on my way up here man."

Gumble smiled and gave Marshall's hand a squeeze.

"It dates back to Roman times actually," he explained. "See, grapes are a fruit that – wait, what?"

Marshall was laughing.

"Brainlord, do you literally know _all_ the useless information of the world?"

Gumble swatted at his boyfriend who just laughed harder.

"Fine, I _won't_ tell you!" he said, but he was grinning.

"Nah, I'm just joshin' you," Marshall said, and there was genuine fondness in his voice. "I like how you know all these cool facts. Tell me about the grapes."

Gumble smiled again.

"Well-"

"_Marshall_?"

The two boys turned around and saw Bonni standing in the doorway.

"Hey Bonni," Marshall got up and held his arms open wide. "Come on, come give me a hug. It's been a tough night for you."

Bonni smiled gratefully and walked over to him, hugging him tight.  
Gumble grinned, moved by how caring Marshall was towards his sister.

"Thanks dude," she said as they broke apart. "How's Marceline? She was really great last night!"

Marshall felt a pang of guilt when he remembered how he'd spoken to his twin earlier.

"She's fine," he said quickly, not wanting Bonni to have to worry any more than she already had. "I think she's just really glad Gumble's alright!"

Bonni beamed.

"We all are," she said, and looked over at her brother. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Gumble reported, and smiled. "Don't worry about me Bonni, everything is fine."

And as Bonni pulled another chair up to the bed so the three friends could talk together, she really believed it was. 

* * *

"Lich. _Lich_. Lich! Wake up!"

Me-Mow threw the T-shirt Lich had discarded on the living room floor the night before and it hit him right in the face.

"Wh-? Huh? The fuck?"

He grabbed the T-shirt off his face as he awoke, sitting up on the couch.

"What's the matter?" he said grumpily, and then his eyes widened. "Shit! Did someone come around here looking for me?"

Me-Mow sighed and rolled her eyes.

"No," she said shortly. "Just try not to make such a mess in this room Lich, OK? I'm not the fucking maid."

Then she stamped upstairs as Lich looked around the living room, frowning.  
He really couldn't see what she was talking about.  
Sure, his T-shirt and jeans had been on the floor, he had left bottles of deodorant and shaving cream on the coffee table, his duffel bag had fallen onto its side and was spilling socks and underwear into a little pile.  
But it wasn't a _big_ mess. And after all, he was a guest at this house. Surely he was _allowed _make himself at home a little?  
He grunted, threw the T-shirt back onto the floor and turned over on the couch.

"Crazy cunt," he muttered as he closed his eyes. 

* * *

"Whoa, that's really bitchy," Marshall observed. "I can't believe your mom would say that to your dad...That's really cold yo!"

"_I_ can't believe Mutter even came here in the first place," Gumble said, shaking his head.

Bonni shrugged.

"I guess she does care about us after all," she said. "In her own messed-up little way...I just got _so_ angry when she said that shit to Papa."

"I don't blame you," Marshall replied. "That's really, really callous."

"Yeah, especially since he's been the one taking care of us this whole time," Gumble said, narrowing his eyes. "Where has _she_ been?"

"Exactly," Bonni agreed, and then sighed. "But oh well. At least she's here! I guess..."

A short silence hung in the air.

"Moms suck," Marshall put forward and the three friends laughed.

Changing the subject for the sake of the atmosphere in the room, the three began jokingly discussing how Gumble could tell people he got his cut and bruise.  
Marshall was in the middle of an elaborate story about crocodile wrestling when three adults suddenly filed into the room.

"Gumble!" Philipinna rushed forward and pulled her son into a big hug. "Oh mein Gott, I'm so _erfreut_ that you're OK! How do you feel? Does anything hurt?"

She held him at arm's length and he looked back at her, slightly stunned.

"Uh...no. Everything's fine Mutter, I feel fine," he said.

Philipinna nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Good," she looked around the room, beamed at Bonni, and then her eyes settled on Marshall.

"Who are you?" she asked, in a rude tone of voice that annoyed both Bonni and Gumble.

"Oh, sorry," Marshall said politely, standing up and straightening out his shirt. "I'm Marshall Abadeer, pleased to meet you."

He held out a hand for Philipinna to shake but she didn't take it.  
She just looked at him.

"Oh, _you're_ Marshall, are you?" she said, and then suddenly frowned. "Wait a second, how did you get in here? It's family only in these wards young man!"

Marshall blushed a little bit at that, letting his hand drop back down to his side.

"I'm sorry," he said, voice still very gracious. "I just thought-"

"Well I'm sure you meant well but it's time for you to go home now," Philipinna told him briskly. "Gumble needs his family right now."

Bonni frowned up at her mother.

"What? Nein! Das ist lächerlich! Marshall can stay for as long as he wants!" she snapped.

This time Philipinna didn't look shocked. She didn't look fazed at all.

"Bonni, dear, I know you're upset about everything's that happened," Philipinna said calmly. "But Marshall really should go home, I don't think it's appropriate for him to-"

"I don't think it's appropriate for _you_ to make that decision!" Gumble piped up, his voice angry. "Marshall is staying and you _don't_ have a say in it! Right Papa?"

"Ja! Marshall can hang out here with us, can't he Papa?" Bonni joined in.

Perry looked up from where he stood, hands in pockets, leaning against the doorframe.  
He looked a little sheepish, like a child who'd just been yelled at.  
Neither Gumble nor Bonni ruled out the possibility that he had.

"Look," Perry said in a quiet, somewhat defeated voice. "Things are very up in the air at the moment guys. And they're very sensitive. Marshall?"

He looked at the Abadeer boy with a respectful expression, and his next words were said in a very polite manner.

"I really think it's best if, _for now_, you go home, OK?"

Bonni and Gumble both stared at their father in shock.  
Philipinna crossed her arms and looked at Marshall triumphantly.  
Perry went back to gazing at the floor and Duke shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, never having felt so out of depth in his life.  
Marshall swallowed and nodded his head.

"Alright," he said, and began to exit the room.

"But Papa, he has-" Bonni began but Perry held up a hand to silence her.

"Bonni, _please_ no arguing!" he said in a much harsher voice than he would usually use. "I've had a rough enough night as it is!"

Bonni quieted herself, defeated, and looked at Marshall apologetically.  
Marshall smiled to show her that it was OK.

"If Marshall has to go, I want _him_ to leave too!" Gumble suddenly snarled, as he gestured to Duke.

Duke looked up fretfully, like a deer caught in headlights, and gulped.

"What? No! Gumble, there's no reason-" Philipinna began but Gumble cut her off.

"No way Mutter! If _my_ boyfriend has to leave, so does yours!"

Underneath his anger and confusion, Gumble felt a twang of hurt at the way his mother cringed when he said 'my boyfriend.'

"It's fine Philipinna!" Duke said quickly, before a dispute could start. "We'll leave together, come on Marcel!"

"Marshall," Marshall corrected him, but he didn't sound too bothered by the mistake.

He turned around, grinned and waved at Gumble and then left the room, Duke trotting behind him. 

* * *

Marshall walked quickly out of the hospital, Duke struggling to keep up.

"Wow, what a complicated situation!" he sighed as he finally caught up with him, just as they were exiting through the sliding glass doors at the front of the building.

"I guess," Marshall replied, but his thoughts were a million miles away.

He understood Philipinna's motive but why had _Perry_ asked him to leave?  
Perry liked him, or at least he had thought so...

"Come on Marshall, I'll give you a lift home," Duke said, motioning for the young man to follow him to his car. "We can even get some food on the way if you like, I think-"

"No thanks," Marshall said, already walking off across the car park. "My bus will be here soon anyway."

Duke watched him leave and then sighed, putting his head in his hands.  
Could he do something right at least _once_ today? 

* * *

Marceline woke up to the sound of the front door slamming.  
She sat upright in bed at once, knowing that her father had left early and wasn't going to be home until the evening.  
Which meant...  
She poked her head outside her bedroom door and saw Marshall climbing the stairs. He looked up and Marceline saw that all anger had vanished from his face.

"Hi," she ventured.

"Hi," he said and then stopped when he reached the top of the stairs.

Both twins stood still as an awkward silence ensued.

"I'm sorry," Marshall said, breaking the tense hush. "I overreacted and what I said wasn't fair. I just-"

"It's alright," Marceline cut him off. "_No one_ knows what to say in those situations dude, it's not your fault."

Marshall nodded and then looked up at his sister, smiling gratefully.

"Thanks Marceline."

She smiled back.

"How did it go at the hospital?"

And when the troubled look came over Marshall's face, Marceline gestured that her brother should follow her into her room to talk about it.


	27. Chapter 27

As soon as Marshall and Duke closed the door behind them, an awkward hush broke out in the room.  
This was the first time all four members of the Boehm family had been in the same room since their mother had left.  
Bonni shot Philipinna a scathing look but she didn't see. Then she dropped her gaze to her lap, unsure of what to say or who to look to.  
Gumble swallowed nervously and settled back in the bed, wondering how long this tense quiet would last.  
Perry gave the whole room a sweeping glance, and caught Philipinna's eye.  
She looked at him expectantly, and he looked back, nodded.

"Kids," their father broke the silence, although he didn't seem entirely certain about doing it. "Your mother and I have discussed it and – well – we think it's best if Gumble and Marshall are a little less," he struggled to find the word, "_open _about their relationship from now on. Do you understand?"  
Perry looked up and, with an internal cringe, saw that his children were staring at him with expressions of disbelieving anger on their faces.

"_What_?" Bonni's voice came out in a quick, shocked breath. "Why would they do that?"

Perry shrugged and Bonni resented the helpless way he did it.

"Look where it's gotten us Bonni," he said sadly. "A _hospital_ room. What possible good could come of - ?"

"Do I not get a say in this?" Gumble piped up, his voice mostly made up of anger but also tinged with hurt. "Are you even going to _ask_ me Papa? Or is it an order that I stop seeing Marshall?"

"No one's saying you have to stop seeing Marshall," Perry replied serenely, in an obvious attempt to keep everyone calm. "All I'm telling you is that you need to stop seeing him in _public_. And you need to make sure no one else finds out about you two."

"Right," Philipinna chimed in, and then her tone changed. "And if you ask me, you shouldn't have been telling anyone in the first place! Why would you go – go – _advertising_ it willy-nilly? Not everybody needs to _know_ - "

"He didn't _advertise _anything!" Bonni snapped suddenly. "They're _going out_ Mutter! Usually, they're not kept top secret."

Philipinna narrowed her eyes at her daughter.

"Except when they should be!" she retorted. "What? Do you want to see your brother end up in a hospital bed _again_ from telling people?"

"He's not in hospital because he has a boyfriend!" Bonni cried incredulously. "He's in hospital because Lich is a fucking monster who-"

"_Language_ Bonnibel!" Philipinna snapped. "And you can stop talking anyway. This isn't about _you_, it's about your brother. The world doesn't revolve around you and your petty-"

"Leave her alone, she's just looking out for me," Gumble said, but his tone was much more miserable than it was brave. "And she's doing a better job right now than either of you."

"Don't be so dramatic Gumble," Philipinna said, shaking her head. "Of _course_ we're looking out for you, we don't want you to end up in here again! Especially with that horrible Lich boy still running around out there."

Being reminded that Lich was still nowhere to be found made a shiver run down Gumble's spine, and he fell into unhappy silence for a moment.

"What about me and Marceline?" Bonni said suddenly. "Do I have to stop seeing her too?"

Perry opened his mouth to answer but Philipinna cut across him.

"_Marcely_? Who's Marcely?" she asked.

"_Marceline_," Bonni corrected. "And she's my girlfriend."

To Perry and the twins' astonishment, Philipinna responded to this news with a hearty laugh.

"_Girlfriend_?" she cried, as if the notion greatly amused her. "Wow."

Philipinna looked from Bonni to Gumble and back again.

"I knew you two were close but deciding to go through your gay phase at the _same time_? That's a bit excessive!"

The twins could only stare at their mother in complete and total disbelief.  
Even Perry gave her a surprised glance.

"Philipinna," he said in the same composed, gentle voice as before. "I don't think Gumble or Bonni are going through _phases_, I think they should just _wait_ to come out until-"

" 'Come out'?" Philipinna seemed as entertained by this idea as she was about Bonni's girlfriend. "Perry, there's no _coming out _to do, that's for adults who _know _they're gay, who-"

"How do you come to _that_ conclusion?" Bonni shot. "Who are you to tell anybody that they know they're gay or not?"

Philipinna looked at Bonni for a moment and then sighed.

"Bonni, listen," she said patronisingly. "_No one_ knows at your age, everyone just thinks they do!"

"_I_ know," Gumble said firmly. "I've always known. I'm gay Mutter. I _know_ I'm gay."

Philipinna barely reacted to this, she just nodded absently.

"Give it a few years sweetie," she said. "You'll meet a nice girl who'll-"

"No, don't patronise me like that!" Gumble snapped. "I guess I'm just a dumb kid to you but you're going to have to accept that _this _dumb kid is gay!"

Bonni let out a laugh at that one and turned to grin approvingly at her brother.  
She thought so highly of him in that moment – his courage, his conviction, his _humour_, his certainty.  
No matter what anyone thought, Gumble Boehm was _far _from a dumb kid.  
He gave her a small, warm smile before turning to stare down their mother again.

Philipinna seemed a little shocked at his outburst at first but then turned to Perry, her expression hard and stubborn.

"Good lord Perry," she sighed exasperatedly. "I think I need another coffee if we're going to be arguing so much in here! _You_ try to talk some sense into them, they obviously aren't very interested in what I have to say."

As she swept out of the room, Bonni rolled her eyes at her mother's overdramatic habit of twisting everyone's words around and making it seem like the world was against her.  
But with some renewed confidence, she looked up at Perry, hoping that he would make more sense without Philipinna influencing him.  
So it annoyed her greatly when he looked just as powerless as ever.

"Papa," Bonni ventured, her voice soft. "You can't really _agree_ with Mutter! I mean, for us to just _pretend _we're not seeing Marshall and Marceline? That's crazy, I-"

"_You_ don't have to pretend anything Bonni," their father interrupted. "No one seems to be targeting you and Marceline. So for now, everything is OK on that front. Just be smart and don't tell anyone else about you two."

"What? But Papa, that doesn't make any _sense_! Why can't-"

"Look, when you grow up and one of _your_ kids winds up in a hospital bed because of something like this, then you can talk to me," Perry cut her off again. "But until then, you don't get an opinion on this."

That comment shocked Bonni into silence but no Gumble.

"But what about - ?"

"I'm sorry Gumble," Perry said and the lack of composure in his voice let the twins know that he was losing patience quickly. "But your mother and I talked it over and we really think this is best. Don't bring your boyfriend round to the house anymore please. And don't ever mention him again."

And almost as if to escape their hurt and dismayed faces, Perry turned on heel and marched out the door after his ex-wife.

* * *

"Lich, wake up!" Me-Mow demanded in a rough, unsympathetic voice.

"Huh?" Lich grunted as he stared up at his new "roommate" from the couch. "What?"

"Thought you should know," she said. "That Boehm guy is fine. He woke up in hospital this morning."

Lich jerked himself into an upright sitting position.

"Shit, no kidding? _Yes_!" he pumped his fist in victory. "I'm _not_ a murderer! Fuck yeah!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Me-Mow said, not joining in on his celebration. "But listen. The police went over to Stevie's house earlier looking for you. And they asked Tara where you are too. They're searching _everywhere_ for you Lich, you can't stay here."

Lich stared incredulously at Me-Mow for a moment and then anger slowly began to take over his features.

"Are you fuckin' with me?" he asked. "What do you mean I can't stay here?"

Me-Mow sighed and shifted tensely on her feet.

"Lich, there are _police_ coming for you!" she said. "You can't stay in this house – I'd be, uh, what the fuck do they call it? Harbouring a fugitive!"

Lich just frowned at her.

"So that's it. You're seriously kicking me out Me-Mow?"

Me-Mow sighed again.

"Lich, don't make me feel guilty! I do feel really fucking bad about this but I _can't_ keep you here, I-"

"What about the time with the E Me-Mow?" Lich spat, suddenly furious. "I covered your fucking_ ass_ on that one! And you pay me back by being a cunt and throwing me out on the streets?"

It was unlike her but Me-Mow didn't respond to the confrontation with anger. Instead, she looked into Lich's eyes and searched desperately for some spec of understanding.

"Hey," she said softly. "Do you _get _what's happening here? This isn't about drugs Lich, that's _small_ compared to what the police are trying to get you for. You tried to _kill_ a guy Lich, you-"

But Me-Mow didn't get to finish her sentence.  
Lich had just stood up and wrapped both of his meaty hands around her throat.

"What? Lich, I-"

But he tightened his grip, distilling her voice to a powerless rasp.  
Me-Mow struggled in his hold, gasping for air.

"I didn't try to kill him!" Lich yelled in her face. "All I did was give him a beating! But he was weak and _that's_ why he got knocked out! You tell _anyone_ I tried to kill him and I fucking swear Mimi, I will kill _you_!"

With that, Lich dropped her to the floor and turned to gather up his stuff.  
Me-Mow coughed and spluttered, her chest heaving as she tried desperately to suck in as much air as possible.  
As Lich stormed past her (duffel bag repacked) and heading for the door, Me-Mow called out to him, her voice still frail.

"You really are a fucking bully Robert, you know that?"

Lich paused but didn't reply. He just left the Mowson house, slamming the door loudly behind him.


End file.
